She'll Never Die! (There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - Simms Taback)

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Product:	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - Simms Taback
Date:	16/11/01 (2580 review reads)
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Advantages: Lots of learning opportunities, great illustrations

Disadvantages: Some parents may object to the dying bit for young children

This age old classic nursery favourite is really an old American nursery rhyme turned into a book, this time accompanied by bright and brilliant illustrations courtesy of the talented Simms Taback, an award winning American illustrator.

On each page is a patchwork picture of the gruesome goings on inside the Old Lady's belly as she swallows creature after creature, each one larger than the last, in an endless effort to rid herself of the one before.

It all started off with a harmless fly. "I don't know why she swallowed a fly," the narrator puts in, at the end of each verse, "perhaps she'll die".

Until the very last line of the book, a rather chilling finale, as should be expected. For only the best traditional children's rhymes and stories have the audacity to fill our children's dreams with such horrendous mightmares - think Oranges and Lemons, Three Blind Mice, and the original Cinderella, where the Ugly sisters chop off their toes and heels to try and force their bloody left stumps into the glass slipper.

I kid you not. However this certainly doesn't seem to affect the popularity of this book. Children of all ages love it, and I've never met any child who has been disturbed by the content.

Perhaps the finale of The Old Lady Who Swallowed a fly isn't quite so shocking. After swallowing a dog in verse five, we hear:

"I know an old lady who swallowed a horse - she's dead of course!"

I remember howling with laughter at this line when I was a child, and know a few 3 and 4 year olds who see the same humour.

Here is the original rhyme, as published in the book:

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old lady who swallowed a spider that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.

I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old lady who swallowed a bird.
How absurd, to swallow a bird!
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
that wriggled and jiggled and tickled inside her.
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly.
I don't know why she swallowed the fly.
Perhaps she'll die.

I know an old lady who swallowed a cat.
Imagine that, to swallow a cat.
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird...

I know an old lady who swallowed a dog. What a hog, to swallow a dog!
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat...

I know an old lady who swallowed a horse.
She's dead of course!

There are lots of learning opportunities for children with this book, which can be done at home or at school.

A teacher in the last school I worked for created an "Old Lady" out of cardboard boxes, with a large hole for her mouth. She collected up a range of toy animals, and when the class listened to the story, they would take turns to put each animal in the box.

Children can be involved in the making of the old lady, or drawing pictures of the animals. Try asking your child to think about what they would do if they swallowed a fly.

Older children might like to make up new verses to add to the rhyme, eg.

I know an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow.

As well as reading the book, you can sing the song with the same words. Between the book and the song, there is plenty of scope for improving cognitive thinking and memory games. Children can be encouraged to memorise the order in which each animal gets eaten, or work it out by thinking about the size of each animal. It may also lead to questions and thoughts about personal care, and children keeping themselves healthy.

As well as the main pictures, there is lots of background detail to look at
and discuss. The hole in the middle of each page grows each time you turn the page, which is great for children, but also means the book is a little less sturdy and long lasting, especially with very young children. To be honest, I find the illustrations rather busy, and prefer the old version of the book, illustrated by Pam Adams, which is much bolder and simpler. However children of reading age will prbably find Taback's illustrations more challenging and exciting.

This story has been around for years. Taback is neither the first nor last illustrator to bring the rhyme to life, and with such immense popularity with children, parents and teachers, it seems doubtful that this Old Lady really will die.

Buy it at Amazon UK for under a tenner, or go for the original illustrated by Pam Adams for £3.99.

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