• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

This cheeky picture book debut from author-illustrator Jess Hannigan tells the darkly dry and utterly hilarious tale of fibs, cons, and JUSTICE! Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen, Ryan Higgins, and stylized cinema—from Orson Welles to Wes Anderson.

Breaking News: Wishing Well Broken!

The townspeople of Bad Göodsburg are up in arms. With their beloved well busted, none of their important, generous, kindhearted wishes are coming true! Time to send that good-for-nothing Newsboy to investigate. . . .

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Kids’ Indie Next List *

“I don't trust anyone in this book." —Jon Klassen, award-winning creator of I Want My Hat Back

★ "A fun read for children, but also for their adults. A masterful debut that reads like a well-loved classic. Will be great fun to share." —School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "Is this cheeky storybook technically an entertaining endorsement of blackmail? It sure is, and it’s very funny. A splendidly silly story for all ages." —ALA Booklist (starred review)

★ "Dramatic pacing and sly humor. Terrific fun with a shrewd hero." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Jess Hannigan is an illustrator and author living in Hamilton, Ontario. Her debut picture book was Spider in the Well, and The Bear Out There is her second. She has also illustrated for the New York Times, Readers Digest Canada, the Washington Post, and more. She is a lover of bold graphic art and silly, pointless nonsense.

Jess Hannigan's profile page

“Don’t worry, everybody. Jess Hannigan is here, and she’s really, really good at making books. Spider in the Well is beautiful, expertly told, and I don't trust anyone in it at all. It's amazing." — Jon Klassen, award-winning creator of I Want My Hat Back

"I love Spider in the Well. The story unfolds like a hilarious, modern German fable. It's like if Tomi Ungerer and James Marshall came together and combined The Three Robbers with Bumps in the Night." — K-Fai Steele, creator of A Normal Pig

★ "[A] fun read for children, but also for their adults. This is a masterful debut that reads like a well-loved classic. Will be great fun to share."? — School Library Journal (starred review)

★ "Dramatic pacing and sly humor. Terrific fun with a shrewd hero." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"A wonderfully weird and darkly droll tale about a newsboy dispatched to the town’s wishing well who discovers a spider, piles of gold coins, and a web of fibs. The striking, bold block-print-style artwork makes a splash." — Quill & Quire

"In a folkloric-feeling work with a bit of bite, Hannigan makes a splendid picture book debut." — Publishers Weekly

"Stellar." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"A twist conclusion sees the put-upon protagonist seizing his opportunity—and then some, thanks to a little blackmail and extortion." — Horn Book Magazine