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The legend of how the famous, freedom-fighting Scottish king was inspired to victory by a tiny spider.
Weaving together history and myth, Robert the Bruce: The King and the Spiderbrings to life the most-famous legend of the freedom-fighting Scottish king.
Following the rebellious king's journey from crushing defeat in battle and daring escape to lonely exile in a dark cave, Robert the Bruce spots a tiny spider that refuses to give up trying to spin its web. Inspired by its perseverance, King Robert returns to lead the Scottish army, eventually defeating the English at the Battle of Bannockburn, a victory that ensured Scottish independence for three centuries.
This stunning picture book tells both the legend and the facts about one of Scotland's best-known kings, through illustrations packed with historical detail.
'What I enjoyed most about this book was the message that if you do not first succeed, you should always try again... This is such an important message for young children to see that sometimes you have to try many times before you are successful. I can see this story being used to open up dialogue on this topic... Perfect.'
– Youth Services Book Review, 5 stars
'Enriches the legend for readers of all ages – from children encountering the story of the King and the Spider for the first time, to those for whom it is a familiar cornerstone of culture... Teresa Martinez is gifted at conveying the mood of each scene as well as details of period and landscape. We especially enjoyed hunting for a spider deftly hidden on each spread.'
– Roaring Reads
Molly MacPherson is a writer based in Edinburgh.
Teresa Martinez was born and brought up in rural Mexico, moving to Monterrey to go to school. She studied graphic design and painting before becoming a children's book illustrator. She is the illustrator of Mary, Queen of Scots: Escape from Lochleven Castle