Alison Jackson (1)

These "I Know an Old Lady Who..." books are multiplying like bunnies, and most are cute but schlocky books with minimal value. This one, though, is hilarious, and close enough to the original folktale ("Perhaps she'll die") that kids are hooked. Plus it's terribly silly without being insipid. The rhymes are so funny, ("Oh my gosh, she swallowed a squash!") and in the repetitive countdown, kids will not be able to resist joining in.

Curriculum: a terrific Thanksgiving read aloud.

Jackson, A. & show more Schachner, J. (1997). I know an old lady who swallowed a pie. New York: Dutton Children's Books. show less

Between reading "adult" books, I am on a mission to read all the illustrated books I have throughout the house. This one made me smile. The concept of the old woman who lived in a shoe is changed in this book. She is moving out of the shoe and taking the children with her as she attempts to live with them in various other dwellings.

They moved to and old hat, shared with a cat who played the fiddle all night long. Dancing with a spoon caused mama and her babies to leave in fright.
Next move is show more to Little Jack Horner's warm woolen coat that caused an allergic reaction, so she moved her children inside a green sock that was hung from a clock. The mouse scared them away as the clock turned to one and they found a tub.
Not liking the crowded tub, they found a wall where all the king's horses and men and an egg exploded just then.

Next up: Mama moves her babies inside a tea cup, then a torn glove and misc. other abodes until she discovered the shoe was the best place after all.

Creative with illustrations that bring laughter, this is a delightful book to read to a youngster who loves to laugh. And, I recommend it for an adult who needs a laugh as well. show less

Evie is having trouble dealing with changes. Her parents are divorced. Her dad has remarried and has a new baby on the way. Her neighbor has lost her cat. Her mom is dating. And she is going to cooking class and crushing on her cooking partner. Is she ready for any of this?

I enjoyed this book. I liked the recipes and Evie's advice to make the recipes the best they can be. Watching Evie deal with all the changes in her life gives her a universality to which I could relate . None of us like show more changes, especially when the change is outside of our control. Seeing Evie and Corey together was fun. It reminded me of my crushes at that age. An enjoyable book to curl up with on a summer night. show less

*sigh* Finally! A book about an old lady swallowing things that actually makes a little sense. Except for that pot...I still don't understand that one AT ALL. But, AT LEAST SHE DOESN'T DIE!!!! =D

So much better than that stupid fly version. This one has to be the best so far. =)