Customer Reviews

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (Sing-Along Stories)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Everyone else seems to adore this book so I guess I have lost my sense of humor because I just don't like this particular version-- at least not for the 3 and under set.

My first objection stems from the use of bug spray by the 'old lady' to get rid of the fly. She is shown sitting on a couch surrounded by cans of depleted insecticide while spraying more in her mouth. Rather than find this funny, it scared me to think that some child might get a notion to copy this activity.

Then second is my objection to boiling a cat and chasing a dog with the same intent. Now most children wouldn't do this so that's not a problem but I still don't like the idea of introducing this weird concept to my little boy. (My son asked me if we needed to keep our cat inside and safe from the neighbors - hmmm.)

The funny part of all of this is that I don't mind when the old lady just pops the animals down her throat. Go figure. In any case, Nadine Westcott is a good story teller and her artwork is clever, but I still have to give this book two stars because of the above reservations.
[A `Thought You Should Know' review]

I am a teacher and have therefore read many of the variations of "I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". My review takes into consideration my friends', family, and students' opinions as well as my own. I would have to say that this version is by far the best. The pictures are adorable, the writing is clever, and it is one of the few variations that includes a goat in the story. As a teacher, I also highly recommend purchasing the doll that goes with this book. As you read along the children can stuff each animal into her mouth(the kids love it). Of course, you can do this activity with any variation of the book, but I suggest Nadine Bernard Westcott's.

This is a book that I read as a child. I loved it then, and I still love it. When I need to get away from the stress of the world, I read this book. I read it to my nieces and nephew---THEY LOVE IT! It is truly a classic. Buy it! You will not regret it.

When I was a child, my mother would sing me a funny little song about an old woman who accidently swallowed a fly and all the crazy things she did to try to recitify the problem. This is that story with wonderful illustrations that follow the old woman and her very nervous pets through her adventure. This is a great sing along story for kids.

The great mystery of one woman's dietary adventure has intrigued children for generations. Although she has avoided the stronger points of both the South Beach and the Atkins diets, she did bring in a diverse meal plan with lots of protein with minimal carbs.

The woman described through pictures here is not a pleasant, friendly woman, but one who is terribly overweight, and who apparently eats her pets as well as bugs. Look out Fido! Look out Fluffy!

It is the tale oft-told, and the rhymes will please the young one's ears. It is easy to remember, and so much fun that you may find yourself humming the tune. Like the classic folk story, "Stone Soup," the song builds with each retelling. First, she eats a fly, then a spider, then a bird. You get the idea. While her plan was not to eat any of these things, she does.

While the pictures are fun, it is the song we all love, and the one you and your family can sing on vacations, school busses. It works in rounds, or in groups. The children are sure to giggle through it, since funny vocal inflections beg to be employed.

I fully recommend "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly." But, I must admit, I don't know why she swallowed the fly. Your guess what will happen to her is as good as mine.

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

Great book for my kids, I'ved loved it this book for as long as I can remember. Great fun for kids!

We bought two different editions of the old woman swallowing larger and larger animals, to be read at our five-year-old grandson's preschool. This one truly delighted all the children (and especially Mark) more. The illustrations of the reactions of the animals and of the woman growing progressively more massive are hilarious! Mark reads the book over and over. We find particularly amuzing the picture of the disgusted looking cat standing patiently, while being made into a sandwich and of the old lady with the cat's tail protruding from her mouth.

I purchased this for my daughter to include in a homeschooling unit. Once it arrived we were reading it at least twice a day. She LOVED the illustrations and within a week or so she knew most of the verse.

This was my favorite book when I was younger. I know and old Lady is a very good book. It tells about how and old lady swallows a fly. After that she swallows a spider to catch the fly. Then she swallows a bird to catch the spider, she swallows a cat to catch the bird, she swallows a dog to catch the cat, and she swallows a goat to catch the dog. She swallows a cow to catch the goat and then she swallows a horse to catch the cow. This is a very good and funny book. In the back of this book it even has a song that can go along with the book. The song has a very cute tune to go with the story and children will enjoy singing it. When I read this book the first time I remember that I really enjoyed it and I wanted to read it over and over again. I would recommend this book for children of any age. They can also sing along with the song. I would suggest that you read this book because I really enjoyed it.

This is a great book. It adds a goat to the story and allows children to compare different versions of the story.