LUIGI, THE SPIDER WHO WANTED TO BE A KITTEN
Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
Candlewick Press, March 5, 2024
ISBN 13: 978-1-5362-1911-1 (Hardcover)
ISBN 13: 978-1-6666-7233-6 (Audiobook, read by the author!)
* An American Booksellers Association Indie Bestseller
* 2025 Indiana Read Aloud List, Ageless Category
* Chickadee Award (Maine Children's Choice Award) Nominee for 2025–2026
* Translations (so far!) include Japanese, Italian, Turkish, and Greek
When a big, hairy spider crawls into an old house, he is surprised to find himself adopted as a kitten by the lady who lives there. His initial confusion gives way to delight as he discovers the wonders of tasty breakfasts, dangly toys, and cozy beds. But when the lady's friends come over for game night, will they reveal the truth of what he is? How long can Luigi keep pretending in order to keep the new life and new friend he's come to love? From Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes, the New York Times bestselling creators of Library Lion, comes a warm (and delightfully fuzzy) story about learning to be—and be loved for—exactly who you are.
Reviews
"The silly, sweet story is packed with humor and marvelous minutiae, and the lovely acrylic-and pencil illustrations capture adorable arachnid antics while offering a great sense of scale from a tiny point of view. A marvelous message of unconditional acceptance sure to make an arachnid ally out of any young reader." —Booklist
"The hearts of even the most strident arachnophobes will melt at this story of unlikely pals, and the ultimate message of loving oneself and one's friends just as they are remains a worthy one." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Kids will relate to trying on another persona and appreciate reassurance that they don't need to change who they are to be loved. ... Children will enjoy the spider pretending to be a kitten, the crisis in identity which the spider works through, and the subsequent happy ending. A welcome addition to picture book shelves. —School Library Journal
"If his host loves him as a kitten, Luigi resolves to comport himself thusly, and softly shadowed acrylic and pencil art by Hawkes deftly renders furry Luigi as remarkably kitten-like. ... An emotional roller coaster of a story." —Publishers Weekly
"Anybody who thinks spiders can't be cute will be proven wrong with this charmingly illustrated story about identity and honesty. ... Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten warms the heart, highlighting how freeing the truth can be, as well as the fact that you can be more than one thing—so long as you're happy." —BookPage