Sammy Spider and the Shapiro family have been teaching children about Jewish holidays and values for 30 years!
 
Josh Shapiro is a kind, smart Jewish boy who lives with his mother and father. Though he may not realize it, he lives with Sammy Spider, too. A bit precocious, Sammy is a happy and inquisitive spider. His curiosity about what Josh and his parents are doing sometimes gets him into jams. Sammy's mother is always there to guide the little spider and help him learn from his experiences.

First introduced to readers in 1993 in Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah, Sammy is now the star of 20 different picture books, including four different fun books filled with activities! He's so popular, that his books have been translated to French! He even has his very own haggadah! Sammy's many stories exemplify the experience of Jewish holidays and Jewish life for children, who share Sammy's eagerness for silliness, fun, and knowledge about the world around them.
 
The duo behind these books--author Sylvia Rouss and illustrator Katherine Janus Kahn--provide books that teach and inspire. Rouss, an early childhood educator, explains, "The children in my classroom have been my inspiration." This is obvious from her books' content, as Sammy's adventures not only bring forth the joys of Jewish life, but also provide a firm foundation of learning by incorporating important preschool concepts like colors, opposites, and numbers.
 
To hear from author Sylvia A. Rouss and illustrator Katherine Janus Kahn about the creation of Sammy Spider, watch this video from Kar-Ben eBook partner Open Road Media.

 
Do your children love Sammy? Throw a birthday party for your favorite spider! Then, spend the whole year celebrating with Sammy-related activities!


Download Birthday Party Printables

 Make your party even more special with Sammy Spider bookmarks and posters, available for free (in limited quantities, while supplies last) by calling 1-800-4KARBEN. 
 



Color your own Sammy Spider Rosh Hashanah card! (pdf download)
Celebrate the New Year and make your own challah, with Mrs. Shapiro's recipe!
Read Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah and Sammy Spider's First Yom Kippur!




Curious about the Jewish holidays? Very young readers learn about holiday customs with everyone's favorite inquisitive spider! Check out Sammy Spider's First Book of Jewish Holidays! Read all of Sammy's fall holiday books, including Sammy Spider's First Sukkot and Sammy Spider's First Simchat Torah
Download a 5774 Calendar of Major Jewish Holidays!




Get ready for Hanukkah by reading Sammy Spider's First Hanukkah and decorate your Hanukkah gifts with
Sammy Spider gift tags!





Solve some Hanukkah puzzles with Sammy.
Discover even more in Sammy Spider's Hanukkah Fun Book!




Celebrate Tu B'Shevat with everyone's favorite spider! When the Shapiros plant a tree in the yard, Sammy becomes curious. Every day he watches what happens to the tree as the seasons pass. When Tu B'Shevat arrives, Sammy spins a special birthday gift for his favorite tree.









 
Celebrate the holiday that comes every week, Shabbat! Read Sammy Spider's First Shabbat and download instructions for making your very own tzedakah cup

















Help Sammy Spider find his way to the Western Wall in Jerusalem!
Download the Sammy Spider Maze.
Celebrate Yom Ha'atzma'ut with puzzles and games from Sammy Spider's Israel Fun Book!




 
What's a recipe? Sammy Spider asks his mother in Sammy Spider's First Shavuotas he watches Mrs. Shapiro make blintzes for Shavuot. As Sammy follows the holiday preparations, young readers will learn how the Torah, which was given on Shavuot, is also a "recipe for life." Make Mrs. Shapiro's yummy blintzes






Summer is a time when people pack up and move away. When an Israeli family moves in next door to the Shapiros, Sammy Spider and Josh learn about the Jewish mitzvah of welcoming guests in Sammy Spider's New Friend. In the process, they each make a new friend and learn some Hebrew words. Download a template for writing a letter to a friend who has moved away.






Excited to start back to school in the fall? Get excited for school and learn about caring for animals in
Sammy Spider's First Day of School.
Color and cut out these Josh Shapiro paper dolls. 









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