There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taback, Simms. 1997. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0590631888

PLOT

Simms Taback has taken a popular American folk poem and turned it into a delightful montage of pictures that follows an old lady as she consumes one animal after another, beginning with a fly. Taback’s use of collage and diecuts are what makes this traditional poem sing. As the animals grow successively larger, so does the old lady. Through the accompanying illustrations, the reader experiences the running commentary of those about to be swallowed. Taback’s use of diecuts allows the reader to see each animal swallowed, as well as those previously ingested. The moral at the end of the story is a silly one, but one that can be used to start discussions about greed and avarice.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Simms Taback has created a masterpiece in illustrating this American folk poem. The words are amusing, and the impossibility of anyone doing what the old lady did will amuse children of all ages. The true beauty of this book, however, is in Taback’s use of mixed media that will entrance children and adults alike. The vivid colors pop against the alternating black and yellow backgrounds. Children will love the way in which Taback uses diecuts to show each animal as it is swallowed. Through the use of diecuts, Taback builds the story, moving it forward. In the first picture, the reader sees the old lady’s empty stomach; as soon as the page is turned, there is the fly, visible in the cut-out. As she swallows the spider, the reader can see the fly. Turn the page, and there are the fly and spider together in her stomach. The illustrations progress in this manner until the end, when the old lady finally bites off more than she can chew.

Taback has a little something going on on the side for the adults. The animals who are about to be consumed keep up a running commentary about the old lady throughout the pages. There are newspapers with headlines relevant to the time in which this work was produced. Species of birds and dogs are identified in the illustrations in which they appear. Each rereading of the story allows for the discovery of something new.

There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly is a book that can be read aloud or, for those who know the tune, sung. In either case, everyone will be able to join in, as the poem uses repetition to recount what the old lady swallowed and why: “She swallowed the bird to catch the spider. She swallowed the spider to catch the fly. I don’t know why she swallowed the fly. Perhaps she’ll die.”

PERSONAL OBSERVATIONS

I discovered Simms Taback a few years ago when I read Joseph Had A Little Overcoat. I really enjoyed reading that book with my son. When I saw the opportunity to read another of Taback’s books, I was thrilled. While I do not care for There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly quite as much as I enjoyed Joseph, it is a fun book, and has a lot of potential for sharing with children. I like the sequential nature of the folk poem, and I love Taback’s artwork. The diecut that allows the hole in the old lady’s stomach to grow and to show each animal that is swallowed is genius.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Best Children's Books of the Year, 1998; Bank Street College of Education; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States
Children's Catalog, Nineteenth Edition, 2006; H.W. Wilson; United States

Children’s Literature: “Taback takes the song to new heights in his interpretation…It’s a wild and wacky version that offers lots of colorful visual humor.”
Notable Children's Books, 1998; ALSC American Library Association; United States
Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, August 1997
School Library Journal Book Review Stars, December 1997: “All in all, this illustrator provides an eye-catching, energy-filled interpretation that could easily become a classic in itself.”

New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, 1997 Winner United States
Randolph Caldecott Medal, 1998 Honor Book United States
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 1998 Honor Language Arts - Picture Books United States

CONNECTIONS

ü  There are many different versions of There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Do a comparative study of the different versions. Students could even create their own versions. Some other books by the same (or similar) name are:

·      Arnold, Tedd. Fly Guy #4: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Fly Guy. ISBN 9780439639064

·      Brighter Child (compiler). There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: Pop-Up Storybooks. ISBN 9780769662145

·      Colandro, Lucille. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick.  ISBN 9780545161817

·      Holmes, Jeremy. There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. ISBN 9780811867931

ü  In order to practice sequencing, use Taback’s book with A Fly Went By by Mike McClintock, ISBN 9780394800035

ü  Find the Raffi version of this song and sing along! Raffi can also lead to a whole new discussion of childhood songs that bridge many cultures.

ü  Conduct a retrospective of Taback’s work. Taback died on December 25, 2011. Study his other books and his artwork.