There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly

By Simms Taback

Everyone knows the poem about the old lady who swallowed a fly, then a spider, then a bird... but never before have we been given such an interesting and humorous view of the situation! Using die-cut holes, we are able to see exactly what is going on inside this crazy old lady's stomach. And Taback's combination of bold painting, crayon, and collage create a very unique perspective of a well-known story. Attentiveness to detail and humorous asides are what make this book a pleasure to read. And since the story itself has been put into books countless times, it's impressive to see how unique Taback was able to make this story - so impressive, in fact, that it won a Caldecott Honor award.

I think the best part of this book is its sense of humor. The humorous illustrations and the clever asides of the animals mean that readers will want to take their time looking through all the pages. And the story ends with a very strong moral: "Never swallow a horse." It's pretty hard to argue with a message like that!

Anansi the Spider: a tale from the Ashanti

By Gerald McDermott

This book is a great way to introduce mythology into the classroom.  Almost every child knows at least a little about Greek gods or traditional Native American folklore, but it is rarer to come by students who know more about the mythology and folklore of other cultures (that is, of course, unless they come from those cultures).  This is the tale of Anansi the Spider, a folk-hero to the Ashanti people of Ghana, West Africa.  You'll have to read the book to find out all of the details, but it is a folk tale of how the moon came to be in the night sky.  It uses fairly basic language that would be easy for younger readers to understand, but one of the things I really like about it is that the prologue uses very rich and discriptive language to explain a bit about the Anani and the Ashanti people.  For younger readers, this would have to be read to them, but I really believe that it is important for early readers to be exposed to more complex language, since it helps with vocabulary and meaning construction.  And more importantly than that, it explains the Ashanti culture in such a beautiful form that could not be properly conveyed if it were simplified into "easy" reading.

I also really like the illustrations to this book, because I think they visually express a lot about the culture beyond just learning about the Ashanti and reading the folktale.  Their bold and "tribalistic" images tell us a lot about traditional art forms in that culture.  Overall this book offers a very nice package of information about the Ashanti culture: the folk story, background information about the culture, and visual representations of their art.  I think this would be a really great book to use in a larger unit about folklore and how it is carried on and conveyed in cultures around the world.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub

By Audrey Wood
Illustrated by Don Wood

King Bidgood's in the bathtub... and he won't get out!  This humorous story (suitable for all ages and also available in the "big book" format) tells the tale of a stubborn king who will not leave his bathtub.  Of course nobody can make him get out... so instead, the Knight, the Queen, the Duke, and the entire King's Court ends up playing, lunching, fishing, and dancing in the tub.  It turns out to be quite a sight!  The Court gives up and cries for help.  It turns out that the young Page is the only one with a solution - but you'll have to read the book to learn what it is!

This story is original and humorous, and is sure to illicit many giggles and comments of surprise from younger readers.  And although it is silly, it does offer the lesson that there is always a solution to your problems, even though it may not be the first (or second, or third) plan you come up with.  Additionally wonderful are Don Wood's oil paintings that accompany the story.  The illustrations are delightfully detailed and illustrate the true absurdity of situations like fishing in the bathtub.

This book is a Caldecott Honor Book, and for good reason.  King Bidgood's in the Bathtub is sure to be a delightful story for readers of all ages.