One lonely spider sipped her tea While gazing at the sky. She watched the insects on the leaves And many flying by. "If I had friends like these," she sighed, "Who'd stay a while with me, "I'd sit them down on silken chairs And serve them cakes and tea."

Poor misunderstood Miss Spider! Although the insects believe her looks will kill, her motives are quite pure. She just wants to invite them to a neighborhood tea party. A Spider weaves silken chairs and brews tea from "hips of roses," even though her repeated invitations are met with comments like "We would be fools to take our tea / With anyone so spidery."

The lush rendition of the insect world in MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY, by author-illustrator David Kirk, will inspire children to create their own "buggy" tea parties. After all, what child doesn"t love to play in the dirt and whip up culinary concoctions from seeds, leaves and berries?

Here's how we throw a tea party for Miss Spider. Sweep clean a level patch of dirt. Use a spool of thread and the lid of a film canister for a table, topped with a supple leaf for a festive tablecloth. Then roll up some miniature tea cakes. These will ensure that the ants, at least, find the location.

ANT-SIZE TEA CAKES

1 slice white bread
Water
White sugar

Break off a tiny piece of white bread and roll it between your fingers until the bread forms a tiny snake. Coil the snake into a bun, dip it briefly in water, place it on the leaf, and dust it with a few grains of white sugar.

Now invite Miss Spider's many friends and watch them merrily nibble away.