WORK TITLE: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: www.jaredlee.com
CITY: Lebanon
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 215
Born August 19, 1943, in Van Buren, IN; married; wife’s name P.J.; children: Jennifer, Jana.
EDUCATION:
John Herron Art Institute, B.F.A., 1966.
ADDRESS
Home - Jared Lee Studio, 2942 Hamilton Rd., Lebanon, OH 45036.
CAREER
Illustrator. Gibson Greetings, card designer for one year, freelance artist and cartoonist, beginning 1970. Creator of horse-related cartoons, coloring books, and stationary for Horse Hollow Press.
AVOCATIONS:
Basketball, raising horses.
MEMBER:
Society of Illustrators, National Cartoonist Society, Illustrators’ Partnership.
AWARDS:
Society of Illustrators award; Martha Kinney Cooper Award, Ohioana Library Association, National Cartoonist Society award; other awards for advertising art.
WRITINGS
ILLUSTRATOR:
FOR CHILDREN
Valjean McLenighan, You Can Go Jump, Follett (Chicago, IL), 1977
Ida Luttrell, One Day at School, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (San Diego, CA), 1984
Elizabeth S. Wall, The Computer Alphabet Book, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1984
Mike Thaler, Cream of Creature from the School Cafeteria, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1985
Joanna Cole, Monster Manners, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1985
Steve Kroll, Gobbledygook, new edition, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1985
Mike Thaler, Upside Down Day, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1986
Mike Thaler, The Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1989
Mike Thaler, Cannon the Librarian, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1993
Mike Thaler, The Bully Brothers Trick the Tooth Fairy, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1993
Mike Thaler, The Bully Brothers: Gobblin’ Halloween, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1993
Mike Thaler, The Principal from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1993
Mike Thaler, Camp Rotten Time, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1994
Mike Thaler, Fang the Dentist, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1994
Mike Thaler, Miss Yonkers Goes Bonkers, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1994
Mike Thaler, My Cat Is Going to the Dogs, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1994
Mike Thaler, The Gym Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1994
Mike Thaler, Bad Day at Monster Elementary, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1995
Mike Thaler, The Bully Brothers: Making the Grade, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1995
Mike Thaler, The Schmo Must Go On, Troll Associates (Mahwah, NJ), 1995
Mike Thaler, The School Nurse from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1995
Mike Thaler, Make Your Beds, Bananaheads, Troll Associates(Mahwah, NJ), 1997
Mike Thaler, Schmoe White and the Seven Dorfs, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997
Mike Thaler, The Princess and the Pea-ano, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997
Mike Thaler, The Cafeteria Lady from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998
Mike Thaler, The School Bus Driver from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999
George Edward Stanley, Snake Camp, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2000
Mike Thaler, The Music Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000
Mike Thaler, The Custodian from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2001
Crystal Wirth, At 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2002
Matt Jacobson and Lisa Jacobson, The Amazing Beginning of You, Zonderkids (Grand Rapids, MI), 2002
Mike Thaler, The Class from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2002
Mike Thaler, The Class Trip from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2002
Lucille Colandro, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2002
Don Wulffson and Pam Wulffson, Abracadabra to Zombie: More than 300 Wacky Word Origins, Dutton Children’s Books (New York, NY), 2003
Steven James, Believe It!: Bible Basics That Won’t Break Your Brain: Incredible Readable Rhymes, Standard Pub. (Cincinnati, OH), 2003
Mike Thaler, The Class Election from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2003
Mike Thaler, The Class Pet from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2003
Mike Thaler, The Talent Show from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2003
Lucille Colandro, There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2003
Justine Fontes, Jordan’s Silly Sick Day, Children’s Press (New York, NY), 2004
Mike Thaler, The Bully from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2004
Mike Thaler, The Halloween Party from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2004
Mike Thaler, The Science Fair from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2004
Julia Durango, Dream Hop, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005
Mike Thaler, The Field Day from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2005
Mike Thaler, The School Carnival from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2005
Carson Kressley, You’re Different and That’s Super, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005
Mike Thaler, The Book Fair from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2006
Mike Thaler, The Christmas Party from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2006
Lucille Coladro, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2006
Mike Thaler, School Riddles from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2007
Mike Thaler, The Computer Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2007
Mike Thaler, The Little League Team from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2007
Mike Thaler, The Vice Principal from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2007
Mike Thaler, April Fools’ Day from the Black Lagoon, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2008
Mike Thaler, Church Summer Cramp, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, Easter Egg Haunt, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, I-scream Sunday, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, Mission Trip Impossible, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, The Three Wise Guys, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, Walking the Plank to the Baptism Tank, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2009
Mike Thaler, Bible Knock-knocks from the Back Pew, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2010
Mike Thaler, Bible Riddles from the Back Pew, Zonderkidz (Grand Rapids, MI), 2010
Mike Thaler, Church Harvest Mess-tival, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2010
Mike Thaler, Vacation Bible Snooze, Zondervan (Grand Rapids, MI), 2010
OTHER
Howart Tomb, Wicked Irish for the Traveler, Workman (New York, NY), 1999
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There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon! (Lucille Colandro (Author), Jared Lee (Illustrator)),
Cartwheel Books (New York, NY), 2023
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick! (Lucille Colandro (Author), Jared Lee (Illustrator)),
Cartwheel Books (New York, NY), 2010
The Teacher from the Black Lagoon was adapted for video by Weston Woods, 2003.
SIDELIGHTS
Since becoming an illustrator in the early 1970s, Jared Lee has worked for clients ranging from major corporations to the U.S. Postal Service, and he was also one of the artists selected to create images for the first Happy Meal boxes produced by McDonalds. In his work for picture books, Lee has teamed up with a number of authors, among them Lucille Colandro, Justine Fontes, Don and Pam Wulffson, and Mike Thaler. Reviewing Colandro’s There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!, Gillian Engberg noted in Booklist that Lee’s comic cartoon drawings “extend … the absurd humor in delightful drawings” featuring the story’s quirky heroine. His “squiggly lined cartoon style” is a feature of Julia Durango’s Dream Hop, wrote a Kirkus Reviews critic, and in this humorous rhyming picture book Lee diminishes the story’s scary aspects by “keep[ing] … it all on a humorous plane.” In reviewing the illustrator’s contribution to Carson Cressley’s feel-good picture book You’re Different and That’s Super, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan noted in School Library Journal that “the real treat … is the liveliness of Lee’s whimsical black-line illustrations.”
Thaler has been Lee’s most frequent collaborator, and the two have worked together on the “Bully Brothers,” “Tales from the Back Pew,” and “Black Lagoon” series of easy readers. Designed to make vocabulary-building fun, The Bully Brothers: Gobblin’ Halloween stars troublesome siblings Bumpo and Bubba in a story that demonstrates that crime does not pay. While noting that Lee and Thaler “aim low” in their humor in the book, a Publishers Weekly contributor added that “their sense of mischief is deal on.” Regarding another book in the series, The Bully Brothers Trick the Tooth Fairy, another Publishers Weekly critic concluded that “the success of this inventively twisted tale … is due as much to Lee’s hilarious cartoon as to Thaler’s waggish story.” In a Kirkus Reviews appraisal of Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday, the first volume in Thaler’s “Tales from the Back Pew” series, the critic noted that “Lee’s loose, cartoon-style illustrations in watercolor and ink add considerable appeal” to the story.
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, December 1, 2000, Hazel Rochman, review of Snake Camp, p. 727; November 1, 2003, Hazel Rochman, review of Abracadabra to Zombie: More than 500 Wacky Word Origins, p. 495; February 1, 2004, Gillian Engberg, review of There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!, p. 980.
Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2005, review of Dream Hop, p. 1025; January 15, 2009, review of Preacher Creature Strikes on Sunday.
New York Times Book Review, November 13, 2005, John Schwartz, review of You’re Different and That’s Super, p. 35.
Publishers Weekly, March 8, 1993, review of The Bully Brothers Trick the Tooth Fairy, p. 77; September 20, 1993, Elizabeth Devereaux and Kit Alderdice, review of The Bully Brothers: Gobblin’ Halloween, p. 30; October 10, 2005, review of You’re Different and That’s Super, p. 59.
School Library Journal, January, 2004, Linda Wadleigh, review of Abracadabra to Zombie, p. 162; October, 2005, Rosalyn Pierini, review of Dream Hop, p. 112; May, 2006, Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, review of You’re Different and That’s Super, p. 92.
ONLINE
Jared Lee Home Page, http://www.jaredlee.com (April 21, 2010).*
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon! (Lucille Colandro (Author), Jared Lee (Illustrator)) - 2023 Cartwheel Books , New York, NY
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick! (Lucille Colandro (Author), Jared Lee (Illustrator)) - 2010 Cartwheel Books , New York, NY
Jared Lee website - https://www.jaredlee.com/
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Jared Lee Loughner.
This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous.
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Jared Lee
Born Jared D. Lee
August 19, 1943 (age 81)
Van Buren, Indiana, U.S.
Occupation Humorous illustrator
Years active 1970 – present
Spouse Pamela Jerdon Lee (PJ)
Children 2 Daughters (Jana, Jennifer)
Signature
Jared D. Lee (born August 19, 1943) is an artist and humorous illustrator.
Biography
Jared Devon Lee was born in Van Buren, Indiana on August 19, 1943. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1966 from The John Herron Art Institute located in Indianapolis, Indiana. He served two years in the military from 1966 to 1968 in Ft Hood, Texas. His art career started at Gibson Greetings in 1969, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he designed humorous greeting cards. He launched out as a freelance Illustrator in 1970 creating Jared Lee Studio.
His work has been associated with Scholastic Publishing, Simon and Schuster, Dutton Children's Books, US Postal Service, New York Telephone, Bell South, L.L. Bean, Procter and Gamble, Ralston Purina, Lands' End, and Hasbro, to name a few. He was one of the six illustrators chosen to create the first group of Happy Meal boxes for McDonald's.
Jared Lee has illustrated nearly 200 children's books. The best-selling books have been done with authors Lucille Colandro, 'There Was An Old Lady' and Mike Thaler, 'The Black Lagoon' series. In the past, Jared also created a humorous line of equestrian products including t-shirts, coffee mugs, note pads, and stuffed horses that sold in over 1200 stores throughout the United States and abroad.
He currently lives with his wife Pamela Jerdon Lee, 'PJ' who also shares in a passion for art, loves oil painting, and lives with Jared Lee on a small ranch in Ohio.
Honors and awards
He has received awards from the Society of Illustrators, The Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library Association, The National Cartoonist Society, and numerous advertising clubs. In 2011 Lee was nominated for a National Cartoonists Society award for book illustration.[1]
Memberships include the Society of Illustrators, and Illustrators' Partnership.
Lee, Jared THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A RAINBOW! Cartwheel/Scholastic (Children's None) $6.99 1, 7 ISBN: 9781546138525
Swallowing a rainbow sets off a series of events that lead to a surprising conclusion.
The title character begins by consuming a cloud--and who hasn't wished to do that? The cloud is meant to carry the rainbow, but why did she swallow it? The somewhat weak answer: "I don't know why she swallowed a rainbow. Would you like to know?" The cloud is followed by glitter (kids, don't try this at home!), then by a cone to catch the glitter, a pole to lift the cone, ribbon to tie the cone, and a horse ("silly, of course"). Then suddenly the lady starts to run, and the items painlessly reappear. The cone becomes a unicorn's horn, and the unicorn becomes part of a small carousel with golden, beribboned poles and two more matching unicorns, topped with the glitter-sprinkled cloud and the rainbow arching over all. The dame and a half-dozen children stand watching in breathless excitement. As per the astoundingly successful formula, the repetitive text is irresistible and the zany art is more than half the fun. The dame's head swells to accommodate a mouth capable of the necessary swallowing feats, and her small black dog--whose mouth stretches from ear to nose--is on hand to celebrate key moments. The old lady has pink skin and dark hair, and the children have a range of skin tones.
The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids' everlasting amusement.(Picture book. 3-6)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Lee, Jared: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A RAINBOW!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=67f27d7d. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Colandro, Lucille THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A DRAGON! Cartwheel/Scholastic (Children's None) $6.99 4, 4 ISBN: 978-1338879117
A very silly fairy tale-inspired riff on the nursery rhyme.
The light-skinned old lady scarfs down a dragon for no discernable reason: "Can you imagine?" The dragon is followed by a tan-skinned princess "to guide the dragon," a light-skinned knight "to soar with the princess," a castle "for all to assemble," a moat "to surround the castle," a light-skinned mermaid "to float in the moat," and finally "a book." That volume proves to be a purgative: The old lady "began to exhale," and "out came a magical fairy tale." The one page of the fairy-tale book shown depicts the knight saving the princess from the dragon (the mermaid is just an onlooker) above the final phrase, "Happy reading!" No guiding, soaring, or assembling in sight. The mortal peril of ingesting heaps of the ridiculous has disappeared: There's no more threat that "perhaps she'll die." Frequent repetition of imagine to rhyme with dragon might prove trying, but the zany action overcomes the tedium: Lee's cartoon characters, bug-eyed and bulbous-nosed, slide down the old lady's maw and float in her belly. Like many of the books in this astoundingly popular and drawn-out series, this one abandons the metrical structure and the logic of the original, and unlike some, it does not add educational tidbits. Still, past performance and the wacky illustrations promise library, classroom, and bedtime thrills. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Another absurd tale of the omnivorous old woman consuming the inedible. (Picture book. 4-6)
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"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A DRAGON!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705332/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=819ed008. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Colandro, Lucille THERE WAS AN OLD SCIENTIST WHO SWALLOWED A DINOSAUR! Cartwheel/Scholastic (Children's None) $8.99 5, 3 ISBN: 978-1-338-66840-7
"There was an old scientist who swallowed a dinosaur. / I don't know why she swallowed a dinosaur, but she went to explore."
She swallows a fern to feed the saurian, then a rock and a pick and a dustpan. In between the old scientist's gastronomical feats, two children, one tan-skinned and one light-skinned--ask each other questions or spout facts about dinosaurs and paleontology. "Fossils are rocks containing traces of the past." "Evidence of plants and animals built to last!" The book, the latest of Colandro's many takes on the "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" song, closes with the old scientist, the kids, and the dinosaurs visiting a museum of natural history. With a rhyme scheme that is often as strained as the conceit of the voracious old lady, Colandro makes another foray into nonfiction that is relatively light on facts (previous titles have explored holidays, the seasons, astronomy, and undersea life). Lee is again along to offer his signature bug-eyed and scribbly illustrations that can be a bit unnerving at times. The children's rhyming banter in speech bubbles interrupts the old lady patter, making the whole at once familiar and clunky. Paleo facts and a scavenger hunt at the end might add to the instruction and the fun respectively. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Not the duo's best, but fans will enjoy the effort. (Informational picture book. 6-10)
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"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD SCIENTIST WHO SWALLOWED A DINOSAUR!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A705355994/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=62abc7f5. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon! illus. by Jared D. Lee. 64p. (An Old Lady Book!). Scholastic. Apr. 2019. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9781338325072.
PreS-Gr 2--In this fun retelling of the popular rhyme, the omnivorous old lady is an astronaut. She starts off by eating the moon, a star, a planet, a comet, a meteoroid, a rocket, and, eventually, a satellite. It is then revealed that it was her imagination and that all this time she was in a planetarium observing space up above from the museum. Each rhyming sentence is followed by a hue fact about the item being swallowed. The exaggerated cartoon drawings highlight the nonsensical elements of the story, and more detailed material about the celestial bodies is appended. VERDICT A great introduction to early readers who are beginning to learn about space, who will laugh about the adventures of the old astronaut and learn valuable information at the same time. Great for school and library collections.--Annmarie Braithwaite, New York Public Library
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Braithwaite, Annmarie. "COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon!" School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 3, Apr. 2019, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A581175244/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=db7bd7b2. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Colandro, Lucille THERE WAS AN OLD MERMAID WHO SWALLOWED A SHARK! Scholastic (Children's Fiction) $8.99 3, 27 ISBN: 978-1-338-12993-9
Having eaten pretty much everything on land in 13 previous versions of the classic song, Colandro's capaciously stomached oldster goes to sea.
Once again the original cumulative rhyme's naturalistic aspects are dispensed with, so that not only doesn't the old lady die, but neither do any of the creatures she consumes. Instead, the titular shark "left no mark," a squid follows down the hatch to "float with the shark," a fish to "dance with the squid," an eel to "brighten the fish" (with "fluorescent light!" as a subsequent line explains), and so on--until at the end it's revealed to be all pretending anyway on a visit to an aquarium. Likewise, though Lee outfits the bespectacled binge-eater with a finny tail and the requisite bra for most of the extended episode, she regains human feet and garb at the end. In the illustrations, the old lady and one of the two children who accompany her are pink-skinned; the other has frizzy hair and an amber complexion. A set of nature notes on the featured victims and a nautical seek-and-find that will send viewers back to the earlier pictures modestly enhance this latest iteration.
Series fans won't be disappointed, but young readers and listeners who know only the original ditty may find this a touch bland. (Early reader. 6-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD MERMAID WHO SWALLOWED A SHARK!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518491425/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5ece4078. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
This is the house that monsters built
by Steve Metzger; illus. by Jared Lee
Preschool, Primary Cartwheel/Scholastic 32 pp.
7/16 978-0-545-61 112-1 $9.99 (g)
"This is the werewolf who put in a door, / That stopped the spider who started to crawl, / That shocked the mummy who raised the wall, / Inside the house that monsters built." Using a "House That Jack Built" structure, this book describes how various witches, vampires, and ghosts contribute to the (shoddy) construction of a "spooky" house, and the resultant chaos when trick-or-treaters come to the door. The monsters, it turns out, are as bad at being scary as they are at building a house. There's good read-aloud potential here (although it requires practice; the verse's meter is frequently challenging), and the pen-and-ink illustrations are frenetically funny.
(g) indicates that the book was read in galley or page proof. The publisher's price is the suggested retail price and does not indicate a possible discount to libraries. Grade levels are only suggestions; the individual child is the real criterion.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
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Parravano, Martha V. "This is the House That Monsters Built." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 92, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2016, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A469641255/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f0628e6c. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frag! illus. by Jared Lee. 32p. ebook available. Scholastic/Cartwheel. 2015. pap. $6.99. ISBN 9780545691383. Board.$6.99.ISBN 9780545831529.
PreS-Gr 1--Yet another take on "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!" In Colandro and Lee's ninth book about this old woman, first she swallows a frog (she was in a fog.) Then she proceeds to swallow some dirt, some seeds, the rain, the sunlight, some gloves, and finally a rake. ("That was a mistake!"). In the end, she burps out a colorful garden. The frog is returned to his flowery environment wishing everyone a "Happy Spring!" As in other books in the series, Lee has given the woman a very large mouth, so swallowing so many varied items is easy for her, except, of course, the rake. In the cartoon drawings, the colors are vivid and the illustrations are large, filling the spreads. VERDICT A possible choice for a springtime storyhour and an additional purchase for larger libraries--Elaine Lesh Morgan, formerly at Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Morgan, Elaine Lesh
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Morgan, Elaine Lesh. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!" School Library Journal, vol. 61, no. 7, July 2015, p. 60. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A420435470/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=130534fc. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! illus. by Jared Lee. 32p. Scholastic/Cartwheel. 2012. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-35222-2. LC number unavailable.
K-Gr 2--In this goofy twist on the classic cumulative rhyme "There was an old lady who swallowed a clover ... but she didn't roll over." Indeed, she also gulps down a daisy, a butterfly, a bird, a pot, gold coins, and a fiddle. At the end of this strange feast, she dances with a "wee little leprechaun" and her giggling causes a rainbow to pop out of her mouth. While not an obvious holiday selection, the book ends with a "Happy St. Patrick's Day!" wish. Lee's comically absurd cartoons will have children chuckling, but some of the rhymes are awkward to read aloud ("She swallowed the bird to glide with the butterfly"), and the explanations are often a stretch ("She swallowed the daisy to brighten the clover").--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Ludke, Linda
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Ludke, Linda. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!" School Library Journal, vol. 58, no. 5, May 2012, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A288290710/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=339919fe. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books! illus. by Jared Lee. 32p. Scholastic. 2012. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-545-40287-3.
K-Gr 2--Colandro's kooky version of the classic rhyme begins, "There was an old lady who swallowed some books ... but she didn't get any looks." The old lady proceeds to gobble a desk load of school supplies including a pen, pencil case, ruler, folder, chalk, and tote bag. When a big yellow bus rounds the corner, she gives a cheer and out pops a "brand-new backpack." Lee's comical cartoon illustrations have lots of energy as the woman kicks up her heels and tosses her next gastronomical delight into her wide-open mouth. While some of the rhymes are awkward to read aloud ("There was an old lady who swallowed a pencil case./Without leaving a trace, she swallowed that pencil case"), this picture book has appeal as a back-to-school selection.--Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
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Ludke, Linda. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!" School Library Journal, vol. 58, no. 10, Oct. 2012, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A304171492/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3f0601e2. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick! CD. 4:13 min. with paperback book. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2011. ISBN 0-545-27369-2. $18.99.
K-Gr 2--In Lucille Golandro's adaptation (Scholastic, 2009) of the classic There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, the old lady swallows objects that typically comprise an Easter basket--a chick, some straw, an egg, candy, a basket, and a bow. Instead of dying at the end, she trips as she's skipping along, and belches a fully-formed Easter basket into the waiting arms of the Easter Bunny. Sound effects and cheerful music enhance the telling. The narrator has a pleasant voice, and expresses appropriate consternation at the items the old lady ingests. Page-turn signals are optional. Since the book's illustrations by Jared Lee communicate important details, make sure that it available for listeners. This is especially true at the conclusion of the story, which is told primarily through the artwork. Curiously, the tale ends with a jovial "Happy Spring!" even though "Happy Easter!" may have been more appropriate given the prominent mention of the Easter Bunny on the previous page. Phrases such as "She didn't beg to swallow that egg" leave something to be desired, and the fact that the objects ingested aren't ordered by size (or any other characteristic) deprives it of the easy rhythm that characterizes the original. Still, kids will enjoy the fun illustrations and the upbeat narration.--Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, Evans Branch, Rochester, NY
Holland, Amy
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2011 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Holland, Amy. "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!" School Library Journal, vol. 57, no. 9, Sept. 2011, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A265870750/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c2127b11. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
"Lee, Jared: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A RAINBOW!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A811898634/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=67f27d7d. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A DRAGON!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705332/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=819ed008. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD SCIENTIST WHO SWALLOWED A DINOSAUR!" Kirkus Reviews, 1 June 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A705355994/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=62abc7f5. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Braithwaite, Annmarie. "COLANDRO, Lucille. There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon!" School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 3, Apr. 2019, p. 66. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A581175244/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=db7bd7b2. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
"Colandro, Lucille: THERE WAS AN OLD MERMAID WHO SWALLOWED A SHARK!" Kirkus Reviews, 15 Dec. 2017. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A518491425/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5ece4078. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Parravano, Martha V. "This is the House That Monsters Built." The Horn Book Magazine, vol. 92, no. 5, Sept.-Oct. 2016, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A469641255/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f0628e6c. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Morgan, Elaine Lesh. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!" School Library Journal, vol. 61, no. 7, July 2015, p. 60. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A420435470/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=130534fc. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Ludke, Linda. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!" School Library Journal, vol. 58, no. 5, May 2012, p. 70. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A288290710/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=339919fe. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Ludke, Linda. "Colandro, Lucille. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!" School Library Journal, vol. 58, no. 10, Oct. 2012, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A304171492/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=3f0601e2. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.
Holland, Amy. "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!" School Library Journal, vol. 57, no. 9, Sept. 2011, p. 73. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A265870750/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c2127b11. Accessed 17 Mar. 2025.