A scroll-along story — scroll down slowly!
Tap the book button to have it read to you.
Stella is a little spider, and her tummy is rumbling. She wants to catch her dinner. But how? She will build a web!
Let's peek inside her big round back end — its real name is her abdomen. In there are squishy bags called silk glands, full of gloopy goo. Spider silk starts off runny, like glue!
The goo slides down little tubes to the tip of her tummy, where she has wiggly taps called spinnerets. Their holes are thinner than a hair! Squeeeeze! As the goo is tugged out, it dries into thread. Stella pulls it with her back legs, like pulling ribbon.
Stella lets the wind carry her silk. Whoosh! It floats… and floats… and sticks to the other branch. Now she has a bridge!
Stella tiptoes across her bridge. Then she drops down more threads to make a frame. Can you see the big letter Y in the middle?
Now she adds straight lines from the middle to the edge. One, two, three… They look like the spokes of a wheel!
Then Stella walks round and round and round, laying a swirly spiral. Can you draw a spiral in the air with your finger?
Now a different gland makes gluey silk, and she dots it on, like glitter glue. Uh-oh… here comes a fly who isn't looking… GOTCHA!
Stella sits in the middle and holds the threads with her feet. When the web wiggles, she knows… it's dinner time!