Spider in the Well, written and illustrated by Jess Hannigan. Katherine Tegen Books, Harper. 2024. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"He was also the chimney sweep, 
the shoe shiner, 
and the milkman. 

He was assured by the townspeople
that this was a fair arrangement."

First up: meet the newsboy. He is tasked with delivering the daily news to the good people of Bad Goodsburg. His other jobs are mentioned above. When the news breaks that the town's wishing well is damaged, there is much distress among the townspeople. The baker, the shopkeeper, and the doctor are particularly perplexed. The news boy is interested to discover whether the wishes were important ones. 

The doctor explains that his wish was to cure every illness; the shopkeeper wished for perpetual happiness for all; the baker wanted fresh bread for everyone, always. What generosity of spirit the three show! As the bearer of bad tidings, the newsboy is now taxed with investigating the problem with the well. No one else wanted the job. 

With great admiration for the people whose wishes were for the good of all, he is happy to help. Arriving at the well, he finds himself face to face with a spider at its bottom. The spider wants to explain why the well isn't working. The spider tells the newsboy it just did what spiders do: find a 'damp, dark, and musty' place to spin a web. It has become rich because of the wishes. The newsboy should know the baker, the shopkeeper, and the doctor lied about the wishes they made. 

Knowing what he now knows, the newsboy makes a plan to create some havoc for the liars. The three are willing to follow him back to the well, and are not pleased when they find a spider is causing the chaos. The spider pleads for understanding. 

"I would never steal gold or overhear any secret wishes
or tell those wishes to a nosy little boy." 

Knowing the truth certainly works in the boy's favor. He is able to give up his extra jobs to the guilty parties, make a deal with the spider for half of the gold coins at present and going forward, and realize his dream of retiring early. What a coup! 

Jess Hannigan’s playful mixed-media illustrations enrich the story and capture the full attention of the reader. The three sections of the tale (The Newsboy, The Well, and finally Justice) are filled with drama and humor. There's great fun here for all.