Jane McGee

I am a teacher of Psychology I have published a textbook which has sold over 20,000 copies and I have a children's book aimed at children age 4-7
Spiders have a pretty bad reputation because they look so different from humans and just about any other animal we know! Unfortunately many are killed due to irrational fear. But we should respect spiders not fear them. Spiders are paramount to the ecosystem as they control the number of harmless bugs especially mosquitos. Equally they regulate the crops on which we all depend. If we took spiders out of the equation there could be an insect apocalypse! I am concerned that many harmless spider species may be extinct because of the way humans react to them. The children's book of stories ‘Cobweb Capers’ also aims to break the phobias children inherit from adults by portraying spiders as positive. The ‘Cobweb Capers’ stories show these little guys are full of personality, much like the cats and dogs we share our homes with! My idea to raise the profile of this misunderstood and misrepre-sented creature came from my job as a teacher of Psychology when I took my students to a spider phobia workshop. From my job I am aware that familiarity breeds liking and I am also aware that spiders are misrepresented in popular culture and it


is about time this changed! Spiders need a positive spin. They are our friends not our enemies. This book helps to spread the word that spiders should be cared for, yes some require caution and should be admired from a safe distance but a positive interest in spiders can be encouraged by exposing children to spiders as the lead protagonists in Cobweb Capers.