THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY

Name: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
Author: Simms Taback
ISBN: 0-670-86939-2

adapted by Simms Taback & illustrated by Simms Taback ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1997

Fortunately, these additions can be easily ignored or inflated according to taste, and full concentration given to the poem...

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A die-cut hole approach to an old favorite that offers a view of the old lady's stomach and its expanding bestiary.

The text has the look of a ransom note (a touch the devoured creatures might appreciate), but the jaunty colors—set skipping by a judicious use of black—keep the dark side of the poem at bay. Those accustomed to the streamlined version of this ditty won't know what to make of the comments scattered throughout the pages, little asides quipped by animals not yet swallowed; these rhyme with the ``perhaps she'll die'' line of the poem.

Fortunately, these additions can be easily ignored or inflated according to taste, and full concentration given to the poem itself and the wild, eye-catching artwork: It is good fun to watch the old lady bulge and bloat, and the sheer corniness of the verse continues to be deeply gratifying. (Picture book. 4-8)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1997

ISBN: 0-670-86939-2

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1997

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
DINOSAURS
by Simms Taback & illustrated by Simms Taback

- BOOK REVIEW
POSTCARDS FROM CAMP
by Simms Taback & illustrated by Simms Taback

- BOOK REVIEW
MOMMIES AND BABIES
by Simms Taback & illustrated by Simms Taback

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WHEN I GROW UP

by Al Yankovic & illustrated by Wes Hargis ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 1, 2011

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A disappointing exploration of career options from an entertainer who should know better. Maybe it has something to do with the decision to take the "Weird" out of his authorial name, but musical satirist Yankovic doesn't deliver the kind of precise zaniness adults of a certain generation will expect. Little Billy may be small in stature, but he doesn't limit his thinking when it comes to what he'll be when he grows up. As soon as Mrs. Krupp gives him the floor at show-and-tell, he grabs it and doesn't let go, reeling out a dizzying series of potential careers. Beginning with 12 rhyming couplets on what kind of a chef he might be, he follows up with snail trainer, machinist, giraffe milker, artist and on and on. At its best, the verse approaches Seussian: "maybe I'll be the lathe operator / Who makes the hydraulic torque wrench calibrator / Which fine-tunes the wrench that's specifically made / To retighten the nuts in the lateral blade." But the pacing never allows readers to stop and chuckle at the foolishness, and it doesn't leave enough room for Hargis' light, humorous cartoons to expand and ramp up the goof factor. In children's books, as in satire, less is more—here's hoping Weird Al's next effort is both tighter and funnier. (Picture book. 5-8)

Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-06-192691-4

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: April 5, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

- BOOK REVIEW
MY NEW TEACHER AND ME!
by Al Yankovic ; illustrated by Wes Hargis

- BOOK REVIEW
WHEN I GROW UP
by Al Yankovic & illustrated by Wes Hargis developed by Bean Creative

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BE A FRIEND TO TREES

by Patricia Lauber & illustrated by Holly Keller ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 30, 1994

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``Trees are nice [and] also useful,'' begins the noted science writer, summing up the concepts introduced here. Pointing out the many ordinary objects made from wood or, less obviously, tree products (rubber, turpentine, fruit, paper), she goes on to trees' role in animal habitats and the larger environment, including photosynthesis as an important part of a cycle on which we all depend. The simple yet precise text ends with ways to ``Be a Friend to Trees''. Unfortunately, Keller's illustrations, while bright and attractive, are less precise; especially where tree species are labeled, it's a shame to misrepresent them visually. Misshapen birch trunks or vaguely depicted leaves are fine in the picture book stories at which Keller excels, but they're inappropriate in a science book, no matter how young the audience. Still, the lucid text will make this useful; and creative teachers could make a project of comparing real trees with the art. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4-8)