Nefertiti, the Spidernaut: The Jumping Spider Who Learned to Hunt in Space
Written by Darcy Pattison
Narrated by Greg Robinson
5/5
()
About this audiobook
Most spiders spin a web and passively wait for prey to come to them. Jumping spiders, by contrast, actively hunt by jumping to catch their food. What if a jumping spider was sent to the International Space Station? When it jumped, it would simply float. No one knew if the spider could hunt in a weightless environment.
This nonfiction picture book for elementary kids chronicles the amazing voyage of Nefertiti, the Spidernaut to the International Space Station and back. She’s a Phiddipus johnsonii, or Johnson jumping spider, native to western United States. Her colorful anatomy—red, black and teal—made for stunning photography and video. In 2012, Nefertitti clocked a record-breaking 100 days in space, during which time she circled Earth about 1584 times, traveling about 41,580,000 miles.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, Captain U.S. Navy said, “It was a suspense story for me as it happened. I didn’t know if she would survive when I unpacked her for the first time, or when I packed her up and sent her back home to Earth.”
This is an astonishing story of change: through the dark and cold, in spite of being weightless and isolated, this incredible spider adapted and learned to hunt. Against all odds, she survived to return to Earth, where she had to re-adapt to Earth’s gravity. Nefertiti’s story of survival brings hope that we, too, can adapt to a changing world.
Join Nefertiti in this inspiring journey into space.
Darcy Pattison
Published in nine languages, Darcy Pattison’s middle grade novels include: Saucy and Bubba: A Hansel and Gretel Tale; The Girl, the Gypsy and the Gargoyle; and The Wayfinder. Recent nature books for children include: Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub, a 2015 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book; Wisdom, the Midway Albatross, a Starred Review in Publisher’s Weekly; Desert Baths (Arbordale), a 2013 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book; and, Prairie Storms (Arbordale). Her series, The ALIEN, INC. CHAPTER BOOK SERIES includes Kell, the Alien; Kell and the Horse Apple Parade; Kell and the Giants; and Kell and the Detectives. For more, see darcypattison.com/about
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Reviews for Nefertiti, the Spidernaut
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Darcy Pattison has written a wonderful and informative story about a spider who went to space.Nefertiti was a Johnson Jumping Spider. She was chosen because she was the largest of her siblings. They wanted to see if she could adapt to zero gravity to hunt in space. They sent along a food supply of fruit flies. She not only learned to hunt in space, but when she returned to Earth, she needed to learn to change her hunting methods. I never realized how smart spiders were until I read this true story. I believe, like all of Darcy’s books, this is another great book that should be in all classrooms.I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.