What if a Spider Became an Astronaut? A Space Animal Story Most spiders spin a web and passively wait for prey to come to them. Jumping spiders, by contrast, actively hunt by jumping to catch their food. What if a jumping spider was sent to the International Space Station? What if a spider became an astronaut? When the spider jumped, it would simply float. No one knew if the spider could hunt in a weightless environment. This nonfiction picture book for elementary kids chronicles the amazing voyage of Nefertiti, the Spidernaut to the International Space Station and back. She’s a Phiddipus johnsonii , or Johnson jumping spider, native to western United States. Her colorful anatomy—red, black and teal—made for stunning photography and video. In 2012, Nefertitti clocked a record-breaking 100 days in space, during which time she circled Earth about 1584 times, traveling about 41,580,000 miles. What a space animal! A Historic Moment in Aeronautics! Astronaut Sunita Williams, Captain U.S. Navy, who cared for Nefertiti, said, “It was a suspense story for me as it happened. I didn’t know if she would survive when I unpacked her for the first time, or when I packed her up and sent her back home to Earth.” This is an astonishing story of change: through the dark and cold, in spite of being weightless and isolated, this incredible spider adapted and learned to hunt. Against all odds, this strange astronaut survived to return to Earth, where she had to re-adapt to Earth’s gravity. Nefertiti’s story of survival brings hope that we, too, can adapt to a changing world. Read Nefertiti’s inspiring journey into space. Perfect for kids who love space, astronauts, bugs, spiders, and STEM science. Part of the Another Extraordinary Animal series by Darcy Pattison, which chronicles the story of a single animal instead of a species. ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY ANIMAL SERIES – Bird. Mammal. Marine Mammal. Spider. Amphibian. Reptile. Mollusk. This series includes the story of the oldest bird in the world, a spider in space, an orphaned puma cub, a bullfrog with a world-record leap, and the poignant story of saving a species from extinction. The series is much more than just an introduction to the animal kingdom . It chronicles the story of how humans interact with animals in various ways: how we enjoy , challenge , admire, endanger , and save them. It's a fabulous series for kids to learn about the amazing complexity of animals. Wisdom, the Midway Albatross: Surviving the Japanese Tsunami and Other Disasters for Over 60 Years , Starred Publisher’s Weekly review - Abayomi, the Brazilian Puma: The True Story of an Orphaned Cub , 2015 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book - Nefertiti, the Spidernaut: The Jumping Spider Who Learned to Hunt in Space , 2017 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book - Rosie the Ribeter: The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - Diego, the Giant Galapagos Tortoise: Saving a Species from Extinction, Starred Kirkus review - Pelorus Jack, the New Zealand Dolphin: Inspiring a Government to Protect an Individual Animal - Jeremy, the English Garden Snail: Heredity, Citizen Science, and #snaillove "In this remarkable true story of a jumping spider sent on a mission to space, Darcy Pattison successfully weaves together life science, earth space science, engineering, and technology within a suspenseful narrative. Readers will be drawn to Nerfertiti's resilience as she tackles a challenge no spider has ever faced before...to learn how to hunt in microgravity. This heartwarming and educational book will make a terrific addition to any classroom STEM library." - Karen Ansberry and Emily Morgan, science educators and authors of Picture-Perfect Science Lessons. "Nefertiti The Spidernaut is an accurate and step by step account of this spider's journey to and from the International Space Station. Having worked on invertebrates in space experiments with BioServe, Darcy Pattison truly caught the scope of the science while keeping you rooting for Nefertiti." - Mary Ann Colley, VP of Science and Conservation, Butterfly Pavilion, Westminster, CO Picture Books Must Weigh in Light When you write a picture book, it's like packing for the International Space Station. You must cut out all excess baggage.  Nefertiti, the Spidernaut  is the third animal biography book I've written, and the focus of each book is the animal itself. Certainly, animals interact with humans, and at those intersection points, I must decide which elements go into the story and which into the notes at the end. In Nefertiti's story, Stefanie Countryman, the lead scientist was crucial because she interacted daily with the spider until she went to the space station. The astronaut, Suni Williams, interacted with the spider while it lived on the space station. However, Amr Mohammed, the young Egyptian who suggested the science experiment, never interacted with Nefertiti. His story was deemed backstory and included in the notes at th