There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Bibliography:

Taback, Simms. 1997. THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY. Viking. ISBN 0670869392.

Plot summary:

“There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” is a well-known poem about the old lady who first swallows a fly, and then to solve the problem, swallows increasingly larger animals ...  until the horse ... and most of us know what happens next... "she died, of course." It is embroidered with quick witted comments by the soon-to-be-eaten animals as they witness the disappearance of others in an old lady’s toothy mouth. Their remarks rhyme with the story lines: “Perhaps, she’ll die. –I think I’ll cry.”

Critical analysis:

Simms Taback turns a well-loved poem into a fresh and funny version. Using an ever-expanding die-cut hole, Simms Taback let us see what went inside the old lady’s stomach. The art work was done using mixed media and collage on craft paper. Each page is full of humorous asides and details, from the names of different types of birds, to a recipe of spider soup, to the rhyming asides from the spectating animals. It is a real pleasure to turn page after page and enjoy bright images, clever remarks and a well-known poem.

Experts Review:

Caldecott Honor Book.

Booklist: “Although there are many versions of this perennial favorite, this is one of the funniest and most innovative yet.”

Connections:

Have a talk about the illustrations and all the absurd details included in each one.  Have you ever seen a fly with a telescope, or a spider like the one the old lady swallowed? Why do you think the bird is dressed like a deputy sheriff, or why does the cow have wings? 

Read other books by Simms Taback:

“Joseph had a little overcoat”

“Where is my friend?”

“This is the house that Jack built”

“Postcards from camp”