THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY
adapted by Simms Taback & illustrated by Simms Taback
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)