Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends
By Sarah Wenk,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sunny Patch is crawling with inquisitive bugs.
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What's the Story?
In MISS SPIDER'S SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS, the title character and her husband and children have adopted some orphan bugs of different species and set up house in a hollow tree in Sunny Patch. The community is made up of all sorts of insects and their families, including, of course, one villain -- a creepy white spider named Spiderus, who's determined to ruin everyone's fun but never quite manages to do so.
Is It Any Good?
If there are any budding entomologists in your home, they may take exception to MISS SPIDER'S SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS. After all, in the real world a mixed group of insects like the one featured in the show would probably devour each other, not live in loving harmony. But we'll allow some poetic license since Miss Spider presents such a sweet picture of buggy harmony.
The stories are simple and relevant -- about the evils of spreading rumors, the insects' winter festival, or even a nicely non-commercial episode in which everyone does good deeds in order to receive lovely dreams from the Dream Bug. Miss Spider is a pleasant if not innovative show, one which even young children will enjoy.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the variety of the characters in the series. Do your kids think these different kinds of bugs would be able to live together in the real world? What kinds of bugs live in your garden? Families can also talk about adoption. How do your kids feel about the idea of adoption? In addition to the book series, there are a wide range of arts and crafts projects that might be inspired by the series.
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 7, 2004
- Cast: Julie Lemieux , Scott Beaudin , Tony Jay
- Networks: Nick Jr. , Nickelodeon
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Book Characters
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Last updated: April 3, 2023
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