Web widens for children's story books

A TV show, toys, clothing and garden decorations are part of the empire.
By WILLIAM KATES
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KING FERRY, N.Y. -- This spider man doesn't fight super-strength villains.
Instead, his world is a whimsical, woodsy wonderland, where a vegetarian spider teaches lessons of love and friendship.
Author David Kirk is the creator of the popular Miss Spider series of children's books, which have sold close to 5 million copies since 1994. Now, Kirk's creation is reaching an even wider audience as a daily show on Nickelodeon Jr. and CBS, "Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends."
In many ways, Kirk's real world is as magical as Miss Spider's: His 140-year-old Gothic-style farmhouse sits on a wooded hillside overlooking the vineyards of Cayuga Lake in this small hamlet, 50 miles southwest of Syracuse, where he lives with his second wife, Kathy, and three daughters -- Violet, Primrose and Wisteria.
His house is stuffed with bright-colored paintings, children's books and all sorts of toys, especially robots. Outside, a two-story Victorian-style treehouse sits nestled in a towering black walnut in the backyard.
"Every day is a new surprise," Kathy Kirk says. "He's always making up funny stories to tell. The kids can't get enough of him."
Columbus native
David Kirk grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art. He won a scholarship to study painting in England for a year, a trip that left a profound impression.
"That whole Victorian era was appealing to me, the styles that developed in that era and the subject matters -- fairies, angels and women. Not so much the historical stuff, but the fantasy stuff, the stories, the legends," says Kirk, whose parents were professional puppeteers.
When he ran out of money, he returned to New York City, where he moved into a loft with his older brother, who was starting an illustration business. He was 23. He began building toys -- not for children, but one-of-a-kind pieces for Peter-Pan adults (like "Toy Story" director John Lasseter) willing to pay $100. Kirk sold a few hundred pieces a year but continued to struggle in New York.
By that time, he was married to his first wife and had daughter Violet. He decided to start another toy company, this time with children in mind. Kirk also had been considering writing a children's book, but he was not one to take unknown risks. Instead, he waited for opportunities to come to him.
The toy venture didn't last -- but it led the soft-spoken author to Miss Spider.
Publisher's interest
At the time, publisher Nicholas Callaway -- most famous for Madonna's "Sex" book -- was looking to expand his interests beyond photography, design and fashion. Callaway had struck up a friendship with Kirk after purchasing one of Kirk's toys -- Sneaking Baby Alligator With Spinning Eyes -- for his daughter's first Christmas in 1991. He became enamored with the box with its rich illustration and recognized Kirk's ability to bring a character to life.
"I'm not surprised by Miss Spider's success," Callaway says. "David's illustrations are so rich and complex, they are perfect for computer animation. His whole life has been a rehearsal for creating a character like this. Miss Spider is the universal mother figure. Children form a deep emotional connection with her."
The idea for Miss Spider came from Kirk's oldest daughter, Violet, now 17.
"When she was little, she could pick up a little caterpillar and carry it around for hours," he says. "I would worry because kids aren't usually very careful. Hours later, she would still have her little bug, and it would still be happy, crawling around. When she was ready, she would let it go. She was the inspiration for Miss Spider. Someone who might cause a little trouble, but always very nice."
In her first book, "Miss Spider's Tea Party," Miss Spider has trouble making friends because the other bugs fear they will be eaten. In subsequent stories, Miss Spider gets married, starts a family, buys a car and learns the alphabet.
The stories are gentle and told in rhyming verse. The lessons, Callaway says, are simple ones: Be kind. Don't cheat. Don't give up.
Success
Miss Spider was an instant success. And the friendly arachnid became an overnight pop-culture heroine when Madonna read "Tea Party" at a nightclub event broadcast live on MTV in 1995.
In 2002, Target began offering a "Sunny Patch" clothing line for children, as well as garden and home decor products, such as a spider sprinkler and ladybug kneepads based on Kirk's characters. Mattel Inc.'s Fisher-Price division will begin selling Miss Spider toys next year, Callaway says.
Last year, Miss Spider made the jump to television star with an hourlong, 3-D computer-animated television special on Nickelodeon. In September, Miss Spider became a popular fixture on Nick Jr., where it is seen twice daily by about 1 million children. Its debut was the highest rated Nick Jr. premiere since Bob the Builder in January 2001. CBS airs Miss Spider on Saturday mornings.
Miss Spider's success has meant some changes for Kirk, who used to sit for hours a day by himself, doing the oil paintings for his illustrations. Now, others help with the animation, story lines and writing.
"I've had to give up some control of Miss Spider ... but it's been more fun than sitting by myself painting," he says.
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