Review by Booklist Review
PreS-Gr. 2. As the title indicates, this takeoff is based on the familiar cumulative song, The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. In this case, a shy fellow with an appetite for music gulps down a cello, harp, sax, fiddle, cymbal, flute, kazoo, and cascabel. Then he coughs up each instrument, producing an eclectic musical ensemble. The bouncy narrative injects fresh imagery and energetic language into the traditional ditty. The elongated, goofy-looking characters, especially the fish-faced shy fellow, amplify the silliness. The busy, frizzy illustrations, filled with musical foliage, are too detailed for groups, but the story is a surefire read-aloud, and kids will enjoy examining the pictures afterward. --Linda Perkins Copyright 2004 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Instead of an old woman who swallows a fly, this droll cumulative tale introduces a shy fellow who swallows a cello. "I don't know why he swallowed the cello," says the narrator, "Perhaps he'll bellow." The tall, mouse-like protagonist swallows "a harp to jam with the cello," a sax to join the harp, and so on, until he eventually burps up not only the cello, but also the other instruments one by one. Like Terry Gilliam's Monty Python animation, O'Brien's (Poof!) pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor wash are delightfully outr? and full of sly humor. The mischievous fellow resembles a scrawny Ichabod Crane, and as he grows larger, his spindly body matches the shape of each musical instrument he ingests (cutaway views show the accumulating orchestra). O'Brien also injects some amusing subplots: the harp that the man swallows belongs to an Irish dancing troupe, and he takes a cymbal from a marching band performing during halftime on the football field. The six spreads that each feature the regurgitation of an instrument make the last bellow of the cello seem almost anticlimactic. First-time author Garriel's text brims with clever rhymes and at times irregular rhythms. "Not so nimble," says the unseen narrator, "to swallow a cymbal.... Strange thing to do, swallow a kazoo." But the good-natured fun will appeal to music lovers and fans of silly stories. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-This goofy adaptation of "I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" begins, "I know a shy fellow-/-who swallowed a cello./I don't know why he swallowed a cello./Perhaps he'll bellow." The instruments the man guzzles come from a wide variety of venues, including a sax from a jazz ensemble, a fiddle from a rockabilly band, and a kazoo from a child's birthday party. When he imbibes "the teeniest, tiniest, petite cascabel," his belly finally rebels and out of his mouth "jingled the bell," "buzzed the kazoo," "tooted the flute," etc., until "-last but not least,/out cha-chaed the cello!" This is a high-spirited and amusing story, and most of the rhythms work well. O'Brien's dynamic cartoons, highlighted with energetic pen-and-ink lines, vibrate with color and action. The main character continually changes shape to reflect the proportions of each instrument he consumes, and his antics are a good match for this silly but enjoyable romp.-Shelley B. Sutherland, Niles Public Library District, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this adaptation of ""I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly,"" a man swallows instrument after instrument until a tiny bell proves his undoing. The text occasionally strains to find suitable rhymes for the featured instruments, and some kids may be put off by the empty-eyed, almost sinister-looking musicians, but the milieu is fresh and the premise is amusing. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Surreal illustrations add disturbing and enjoyable vigor to this adaptation of "I Know an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly." The shy fellow is listening to a string duet when, much to the consternation of the cellist, he swallows the cello--"perhaps he'll bellow." This strange gentleman, now shaped like the cello he has swallowed, follows up with the harp from an Irish dance troupe, the saxophone from a jazz band, a cowboy's fiddle, a marching band's cymbal, the flute from a revolutionary war piper, and a birthday party's kazoo. With each addition to his strange meal, the shy fellow becomes more and more strangely shaped. At last he swallows the bell off a passing cat's collar--one snack too many!--and the resulting explosion returns the instruments to the musicians in a delightfully vibrant musical blast. The dynamic line of the illustrations, full of swoops and squiggles, provides excellent accompaniment to this silly reworking of a familiar rhyme. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
