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There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Bibliography

Taback, S. (1997). There was an old lady who swallowed a fly.

Plot Summary

This book is based on the well known poem about the Old Lady who swallowed a fly. The Old Lady swallows a fly and then is forced to swallow other things to catch the fly. This story moves from attempting to rid herself of this fly to the moral of the story, never swallow a horse.

Critical Analysis

Taback provides readers with a visual representation of the beloved poem about the Old Lady who swallowed the fly. Readers are able to follow the Old Lady’s journey as her waistline expands with the various creatures she has swallowed. Taback provides die cut pages that allow readers to peek inside the Old Lady’s belly to view the chaos she is creating inside herself. This version also includes rhyming commentary throughout the book providing additional opportunities for smirks and laughter . This Caldecott Honor book definitely earned its medal with the well thought out illustrations that provide details that will entertain the reader through the retelling of this favorite American folk poem. 

Review Excerpts

From Common Sense Media:

 “Simms Taback adds visual fuel to a folk poem already brimming with hilarity. While the poem stands on its own as a celebration of rhyme and tomfoolery, Taback captures the action in boldly colored cartoon illustrations that cover each page.”

From Publishers Weekly:

“The gleefully dizzy mood is intensified by Taback's use of black hand-lettered words set in blocks of bright colors laid atop orange or black backgrounds, and occasionally sprinkled with collage images (whose sources range from old field guides to the Wall Street Journal). Children of all ages will joyfully swallow this book whole.”

Awards and Honors

• Caldecott Honor Book, 1998

• ALA Notable Children's Book, 1998

Connections

Gather several versions of the old lady books, such as:

• There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose! by Lucille Colandro

• There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! by Lucille Colandro

After reading There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly aloud several times, have students retell the story. The story is a predictable one. Students should be able to retell then read or listen to additional versions to determine a pattern. Students can retell the story to each other or they can act it out in a center using props. I’ve made felt pieces in the past for students to recreate scenes from their favorite stories. 

Children could also create their own stories that follow a pattern like the above mentioned books.