An affectionate, sometimes bashful pig named Wilbur befriends a spider named Charlotte, who lives in the rafters above his pen. A prancing, playful bloke, Wilbur is devastated when he learns of the destiny that befalls all those of porcine persuasion. Determined to save her friend, Charlotte spins a web that reads "Some Pig," convincing the farmer and surrounding community that Wilbur is no ordinary animal and should be saved. In this story of friendship, hardship, and the passing on into time, E.B. White reminds us to open our eyes to the wonder and miracle often found in the simplest of things.

From Publishers Weekly
E.B. White's enduring classic celebrates in style with the release of the Charlotte's Web 5oth Anniversary Retrospective Edition. The handsome volume sports a clothbound cover framing original jacket art; inside, Rosemary Wells adds country color to Garth Williams's original b&w illustrations. An afterword by Peter F. Neumeyer illuminates White's life and work, including photographs of the author on his farm in Maine as well as pages from the seminal manuscript.Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

New York Times Book Review, Eudora Welty
The book has liveliness and felicity, tenderness and unexpectedness, grace and humor and praise of life, and the good backbone of succinctness that only the most highly imaginative stories seem to grow.

From AudioFile
This family classic, loved and enjoyed now by two generations, celebrates its 50th anniversary with a remastered CD edition. The sound is clearer and perhaps a little more crisp, but E.B. White's voice is the same--avuncular and with a twang of New England and New York. It may either delight or annoy listeners, but it's White's reading style that sets this program apart from current audiobooks. He's reading the story to us, much as a parent would read to a child. He's not an actor, and though the character voices he does attempt--Templeton, the rat, is my favorite--are good, it's not a bravura performance. White simply shares his story so intimately that adult listeners notice every nuance of his sentences and his exquisite choice of words. For children the story of Wilbur and Charlotte will be sheer delight. Fresh as it was fifty years ago, White's story still has the power to mesmerize and teach us great lessons of friendship and life. R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
Beloved by generations, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little are two of the most cherished stories of all time. Now, for the first time ever, these treasured classics are available in lavish new collectors' editions. In addition to a larger trim size, the original black-and-white art by Garth Williams has been lovingly colorized by renowned illustrator Rosemary Wells, adding another dimension to these two perfect books for young and old alike.

Language Notes
Text: Latin

The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Children's novel by E.B. White, published in 1952, with illustrations by Garth Williams. One of the classics of children's literature, this widely read tale takes place on a farm in Maine and concerns a pig named Wilbur and his devoted friend Charlotte, the spider who manages to save his life by writing words in her web.

Card catalog description
Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

ANNOTATION

Wilbur, the pig, is desolate when he discovers that he is destined to be the farmer's Christmas dinner until his spider friend, Charlotte, decides to help him.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

This is the story of a little girl named Fern who loved a little pig named Wilbur - and of Wilbur's dear friend Charlotte A. Cavatica, a beautiful large grey spider who lived with Wilbur in the barn. With the help of Templeton, the rat who never did anything for anybody unless there was something in it for him, and by a wonderfully clever plan of their own, Charlotte saved the life of Wilbur, who by this time had grown up to be quite a pig.

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot