There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Bibliography

Taback, Simms. 1997. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. New York, NY: Viking Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0670869398.

Plot Summary

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a fun book based on a children’s folk song. It tells the story of an old lady who has an unusual appetite. It starts with her eating a fly, but no one knows why. She then eats a spider to catch the fly. When that doesn’t work, she eats a bird to catch the spider. Then she eats a cat to catch the bird. The feast continues until she finally eats a horse. Unfortunately, eating a horse resulted in her death.

Critical Analysis

This cumulative tale, with its fun rhyme and predictable text, is perfect for read alouds. Students will love repeating the phrase, “I don’t know why she swallowed a ______. Perhaps she’ll die.” The old lady’s crazy expressions and unusual appetite will have children laughing. They will also be able to recognize the sequence and pattern of animals being eaten from smallest to largest.

I remember enjoying this song in my elementary music class. When I discovered this book several years ago, I was delighted to read this new spin on a classic tale. Even though the words are the same, the illustrations really help take it to the next level.

The bold, colorful illustrations really accentuate the zany tale. Each page is busy and full of things for the reader to explore. The witty, rhyming comments made by animals will have the reader rolling. The die-cut pages help focus the reader and connect the pages. The die-cut expands to show the contents of the old lady’s stomach each time she consumes another animal. The words on the page are written on scraps like a ransom note with handwritten text. There is a collage page devoted to each animal that is about to be eaten. The dog’s page contains various breeds of dogs, and items that people associate with a dog such as a food bowl. The collage pages have little bits of humor hidden within, like a missing dog poster. Children and adults alike will enjoy searching the lively, detailed pages for these entertaining bits. 

Throughout the book, the old lady seems motivated to eat different animals in an effort to catch the previously eaten animal. Unfortunately this tactic ends in her demise. The last page spells out the moral of the story: Never swallow a horse.

Awards

2008 Caldecott Honor

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal – “The text is handwritten on vivid strips of paper that are loosely placed on the patterned page, thus creating a lively interplay between the meaning of the words and their visual power.”

New York Times Book Review – “The book is beautifully illustrated and lovingly designed by Simms Taback, and the publisher should be given enormous credit for the careful way it has produced the book and carried through his concept, which is a dandy.”

Connections

•   Math Connection: Students can estimate the weight of objects eaten in the book. 
•   Have students orally retell the story using props such as stuffed animals or puppets.
•  Write a new version of the “old lady” story. 
•  Other “Old Lady” children’s picture books:

o   Jackson, Alison.  I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie.  ISBN: 0140565957.

o   Colandro, Lucille.  There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!  ISBN: 978-0439567039.

o   Garriel, Barbara. I Know a Shy Fellow Who Swallowed a Cello. ISBN: 978-1590789469.