Author: Khunying Chamnongsri Rutnin Hanchanlash
Illustrator: Samat Kumsuwan (Thai silk ikat artist)
Once upon a time, there was a very, vary small spider.
Though he was very tiny as a dew drop, you could spot him easily
because his body was bright orange like the sun on winter mornings, He did not like to spin for insects but he loved to make beautiful webs. His name was ‘Orange-8-legs’
Khunying Chamnongsri wrote : "In a forest monastery in the South of Thailand, I once saw a tiny orange spider underneath a teak house at the rim of forest. The exquisite intricacy of its web made me marvel at the creative force with which Nature endowed living things regardless of size or hierarchy.
I believe that the value of human life lies in channeling this force towards giving without expectations for reward. This was the source of Orange-8-Legs.”
The book is illustrated by Thai silk ikat artist, Samat Koomsuwan.
“I was deeply impressed by the creativity of Khunying and the Children Foundation in initiating the use of silk weaving into a literary work… Once the work began, I found it to be very time-consuming and requiring so much collaboration of ideas. I had my mother as advisor… the weavers themselves become very involved – they were excited that their work was going to tell a story for children.
Deep in my heart, I want children to have the chance to come in contact with the art of weaving – not necessarily to the point of actually weaving, but to be exposed to the feeling of it, the art in it, like my daughter.
After she heard this story, she started working on the weaving of one piece with the help of her grandma and nanny, and actually finished it. It was a very good feeling, this working together of grandmother, parents and daughter. I would very much like it to come through to the readers.”
Awards :Winner of 2 prizes from the Thailand’s National Book Award for the year 2000 for children aged 6 – 11.
Publication Data
Author : Chamnongsri (Rutnin) Hanchanlash
Illustrator : Samat Koomsuwan
First Published in October 1999 by Foundation for Children Publishing House.
2nd Published in 2006 by Amazon Printing and Publishing.
Illustrator : Luck Maisalee
N.B. “Orange-8-Legs” is written in simple poetical prose to instill a love for the beauty language in young children. The stories have also proved to be widely popular with adults who enjoy the underlying concepts from Buddhist philosophy.