"There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly"

Book Title:

Image from this cite.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

Author/Illustrator:

Simms Taback

Type of Book:

Picture Book

Age Level:

4-8

My Star Rating:

***

Summary

·      This is a silly book about an old lady who swallows a fly, and then tries to catch the fly by swallowing a spider… she continues to swallow more and more, to catch what she swallowed before.

Image from this cite.

My Thoughts

·      This book is so cute. I love that it is a songbook too! How fun is it to get lost in the world of a book, but also to be able to sing along with a book! The illustrations in this book are just outstanding. Taback masters the use of using mixed media and collage on kraft paper. The illustration style seems to be cartoon, and it interacts with the reader in that, as the woman continues to swallow, the viewing of her stomach seems to get bigger and bigger. This is done through the cutting of a hole in each page. The holes get bigger as the story goes on, allowing for the audience to keep up with all that she has swallowed. I think this is brilliant. What a fun book to bring into the classroom.

Image from this cite.

How to Use in the Classroom

·      This book could be used as a fun songbook to bring into the classroom. I know that many teachers love incorporating songs throughout the day, and I think this would be a great book to bring out and teach to the kids. It repeats which is nice, because kids are better able to follow along and learn the song when it repeats. Also, this could be an example book, in which the whole class makes a new version to the same tune that they can sing together. This book could also be used as a classroom management technique, when the kiddos have just a bit too much energy. 

More Resources

• To sing along with the songbook, click here.
• To learn more about Simms Taback, click cite.