Happy 20th Birthday, Sammy Spider.

Sammy Spider and the Shapiro family have been teaching children about Jewish holidays and values for 20 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 and Dutch! 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–Sylvia and illustrator Katherine Janus Kahn–provide books that teach and inspire. Sylvia, 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.