1. Ecology
2. Grandmothers
3. Spiders
4. Visual literacy

Mermando the Spider lives under the edge of the tin on the wall of Grandma’s chicken house, at the bottom of her garden. He doesn’t build webs like other spiders, but he helps keep the chickens and Grandma’s plants free of pests. One day the grandchildren are visiting and they spot Mermando. ‘Quick, kill it!’ they say. ‘Before it jumps on us!’ But Grandma sets them right about a spider’s place in the world, and how it helps. Soon the grandchildren love Mermando as much as Grandma does.

The story is in English, with Wiradjuri words given on each double page spread. The spreads are structured with the text on one page and the illustration on the other. The illustrations are vignettes in oval frames, decorated with Indigenous style patterns and motifs. This book is part of the Grandma’s Farm series.

‘Mermando’ means ‘spider’ in the Gunai/Kurnai language, but this is the only word used from this language.

Gloria Whalan is descended from the Wiradjuri people of New South Wales.

Series: Grandma's Farm Series no 1

1. Gloria Whalan, Profile (Author/Illustrator) https://blackinkpress.wixsite.com/blackinkpress/whalan-gloria
2. Black Ink Press. Grandma’s Farm Series by Aunty Gloria Whalan https://blackinkpress.wixsite.com/blackinkpress/3b---prep-year-1-grandmas-farm-serie
3. Preschool Plan It’s Teacher Club Presents: A Spider Theme! https://www.preschool-plan-it.com/support-files/spider-theme-club-packet.pdf
4. ABC Education. ‘Spying on Spiders’ https://education.abc.net.au/home#!/media/2519415/spying-on-spiders
5. Australians Together by Uncle Graham Paulson. ‘Aboriginal Spirituality’ https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/indigenous-culture/aboriginal-spirituality/