Review for "There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly"

BIBLIOGRAPHY 
Taback, Simms. There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. New York: Penguin Books, 1997.  ISBN 0670869392 


PLOT SUMMARY 
This books is an illustrated version of the well-known silly tale of a woman who swallows a fly, and then swallows increasingly larger animals in hopes to "catch" the fly she swallowed. As she swallows larger animals, such as a cat, readers begin to wonder how much longer the old lady can survive this predicament.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

From the very beginning, readers will be drawn to this story because of the use of rhyme and repetition. These elements allow readers are to anticipate what happens next as well as feel like active participants in the story. This story allows readers to be a part of something imaginative and truly absurd before bringing them back to reality on the final page. In the end, readers feel relief when the woman, who is in obvious pain from consuming many animals that are larger than she is, finally dies.  

The illustrations in this book are bold and colorful. The black background of each page makes the illustrations stand out and the large font makes the book a successful sing-long or read-along text. The cut-outs on each page show the items that the woman has swallowed thus far, and help the reader imagine what might have been going on in her stomach. The book makes good use of a double-page layout. New animals are introduced on the left page, and once the right page is turned, the animal is visible in the woman's stomach. Although this book is written after a children's song, the silly little side notes on each page will entertain readers of all ages. There is so much to see in this book, readers can enjoy new things each time they read it. 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S) 

CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK 

NEW YORK TIMES BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK 

From Publishers Weekly 1997: “Children of all ages will joyfully swallow this book whole..” 

From Kirkus Reviews 1997: “the sheer corniness of the verse continues to be deeply gratifying.” 

CONNECTIONS 

Gather other Caldecott Medal books to read such as: 

•                      Steig, William. Slyvester and the Magic Pebble. ISBN 978-0671662691 

•                      Gag, Wanda. Millions of Cats. ISBN 978-0142407080 

Gather other Simms Taback books to read such as: 

•                      Joseph Had a Little Overcoat. ISBN 978-0670878550 

•                      This is the House that Jack Built. ISBN 978-0142402009 

Use the predictable patterns in the story to provide children with fluency practice.

Have students rewrite the ending of the story. Encourage students to use rhyme, repetition and alliteration in their writing as the author does.

Provide students with alternative versions of this tale so they can compare and contrast the stories.

References

There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, Christ Academy. Personal photograph by Emily Adams. February 14, 2017.