Beanie's Web
with Jenny Ma (Illustrator)
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Pub Date 15 Nov 2026 | Archive Date 14 Oct 2026
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Description
“Will you be my friend?” asked Beanie the spider to the fly. A lushly illustrated picture book for ages 3 – 7 that offers the message “Peace + Kindness = Joy.”
When Beanie the spider asks Frieda the fly to be his friend, she laughs in disbelief. Spiders are scary—everyone knows that! Right? But Beanie insists he’s different. He doesn’t trap insects for food, they are his friends! He tells Frieda that he uses his web to catch beautiful dewdrops to water his garden plants. Can Frieda believe him?
Curious but cautious, Frieda follows Beanie and discovers a beautiful garden, a joyful group of peaceful animal friends, and a spider who truly lives with kindness in his heart. As she witnesses the arachnid’s selflessness and generosity, Frieda realizes that what she feared was a foe has become a best friend.
Beanie's Web engages young children in its simple yet compelling theme: Our peaceful actions of kindness and sincerity can overcome bias and prejudice in others and allow trust to grow. Beyond the short text, the sublime watercolor illustrations, rich in scenery and characters of small animals, tell many silent stories that would capture children's attention and imagination.
The book includes coloring activity pages that celebrate the book's message “Peace + Kindness = Joy.”
A gentle text and lush watercolor illustrations make this a delightful read-aloud for families and teachers.
Advance Praise
“Impressively original, thoroughly charming, and utterly delightful … A fun read with an important message about unusual friendships, "Beanie's Web" is an especially and unreservedly recommended pick for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections.”
- Jim Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review
“Beanie’s Web ... is a gentle children’s book about friendship, trust, and looking beyond first impressions. … That simple setup gives young readers an easy way to think about how trust can grow through someone’s actions. ... One of the nicest parts of the book is how Beanie’s character comes through in small, concrete moments. … The book’s message about kindness is clear, but it comes through the characters’ interactions. … Jenny Ma’s watercolor-style illustrations give the story much of its personality. The pages are filled with soft greens, blues, pinks, and oranges, and there’s almost always something happening beyond the main conversation. … The pictures invite children to linger on each spread and notice details that the short text doesn’t spell out. ... Beanie’s Web is a sweet, visually playful picture book that gives children a friendly way to talk about prejudice, trust, generosity, and the way a person’s actions can change what we think we know about them. Rating: 5 STARS
- Literary Titan
Marketing Plan
Nationwide marketing campaign.
Nationwide marketing campaign.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781951517007 |
| PRICE | $10.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 42 |