Meet the Websprites


Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
152 Pages
Reviewed on 04/27/2016
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Author Biography

'Meet the Websprites' was Emma Mallett's first book, inspried by all the things she loved as a child - animals, books, and 80's cartoons!

Ryan Grimbly is a young adult book author, who wanted to collaborate on 'Meet the Websprites' to write something "charming and funny". He also drew the illustrations.

They both live in Essex, England.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Meet the Websprites is a collection of children's fables written by Emma Mallett and Ryan Grimbly, and illustrated by Ryan Grimbly. The Websprites are tiny, grape-sized beings somewhat similar to fairy folk, who live in Weebtown, located at the base of the Great Crystal Tree. The Websprites are industrious and kind. They are environmentally conscious and live in harmony with nature. Each adult Websprite has a Crystal Buddy living in the strange circular antenna found on the tops of their heads. Crystal Buddies grow on the Great Crystal Tree. Once they are ready to leave the tree, they drop and are cared for while they wait for their special Websprite friend to appear. They develop a close and symbiotic relationship with their Websprites, which is highly prized by both the Websprite and the Crystal Buddy. Boogs are not as nice as Websprites. They generally don't like to work or cooperate with others; many are bullies or are devious and tricky. Each Boog was once a Websprite, but slowly they changed on the inside and their exteriors, which became slovenly and smelly, reflected that inner regression. Boogs hate the Websprites and envy what they own, especially the Crystal Buddies.

Emma Mallett and Ryan Grimbly's collection of fables for children, Meet the Websprites, is endlessly inventive and entertaining. Through the stories contained in this book, the reader gets to see the Websprites at work and at play, and they are also introduced to the Boogs, who have terrible grammar skills on top of everything else. We witness a bossy Websprite turning into a Boog and leave the collection of fables with the hope that one particular Boog may be able to turn back into a Websprite again. I enjoyed reading the fables, especially the ones found in Chapter 3: The Faces in the Woods, which follows the exploits of Wanda and Weaver, two adventurous young Websprites, and Chapter 7: The Minnow Pond, which is a glorious lesson on nature and the lifeforms to be found in a small pond. Ryan Grimbly's masterful illustrations are deceptively simple and disarmingly profound all at once, and the lessons to be learned within the pages of this delightful collection are never preachy or didactic. Meet the Websprites is highly recommended.

Rosie Malezer

Meet the Websprites is an illustrated children’s book written by Emma Mallett and Ryan Grimbly. No bigger than a grape, Websprites are tiny furry animals of various different shapes and colors, each with a long antenna on top of its head. Websprites’ homes are situated in Weebtown, which is located at the base of the Great Crystal Tree. They are known for being kind, happy, and hard working, giving back to Nature whatever they might take away in order to survive. When a Websprite is lured into becoming mean and bad-tempered, it transforms into a Boog, which is known for its hurtful, narcissistic, bullying ways, as well as being lazy, spiteful, selfish and cruel. Boogs live in Boogtown, which is a very long way from Weebtown and is situated on the edge of a rubbish dump. If a Websprite loses its way, either literally or morally, the other Websprites do what they can to help, but a morally lost Websprite must want to be helped and want to change, lest they remain evil forever.

Emma Mallett and Ryan Grimbly have created the perfect children’s fable, teaching right from wrong, the blessings which can come from being good and kind, and the hurt which is caused by bullies. Meet the Websprites is not only a great moral lesson for children, but also teaches the beauty of Nature and that you get back what you put into it. Should you neglect Nature, it withers away to nothing, but if you feed it, it will repay you with beauty and peace. While the initial setup of the story took a while, it paid off in that the remainder of the story needed no further explanation (crystals, webs, antennae, etc). I enjoyed the innocence portrayed by the Websprites, having encountered a few Boogs in my lifetime. This beautifully illustrated tale will instill a decent moral compass in young children which will last a lifetime, both in Nature and in their everyday lives. This book would be ideal for children aged 2 years and older, and should be stocked in libraries at home and in schools. The world most definitely needs fewer Boogs and more Websprites.

Leah Gonzalez

Meet the Websprites by Emma Mallet and Ryan Grimbly is a fun and enjoyable book for young kids. In the first few chapters of the book we are introduced to the Websprites, which are nice, friendly, peace- and nature-loving tiny living things. We read about what they are, what they look like, and how they dress, where they live, and what they do. We also read about their usual activities, adventures, and encounters with the Boogs. The Boogs are naughty, mischievous little creatures that were once Websprites. While the Websprites are good and kind-hearted and always willing to help and do the right thing, the Boogs are always out to bother the Websprites and create trouble. Although, more often than not, they end up in funny situations.

The book is written well and is descriptive and imaginative. It also includes cute and entertaining illustrations. The book features different stories with several characters that will appeal to kids or just downright entertain them, especially the funny little Boogs. Meet the Websprites can be a good way to teach kids about what it means to be nice and kind to others, and what happens when you think only of yourself and misbehave or are mean to others. It also shows that people can change if they want to, but that it can take time and hard work. It’s a good book for adults to read and discuss with children. It’s also a good book for any reader who enjoys light fantasy stories with moral lessons.

Ryan Grimbly

Thank you for your review! The Minnow Pond was certainly one of our favourite chapters to write.