I Know An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Dreidel

Product Description You've never seen Hanukkah or the "I Know an Old Lady" story like this before . . . through hilarious takes on the world's greatest works of art! A family drives through the snow to visit their beloved bubbe, who spreads out a Chanukah supper for everyone to enjoy. But one dish goes a little wrong:"I know an old lady who swallowed a dreidelA Chanukah dreidel she thought was a bagel...Perhaps it's fatal." Indeed, Bubbe's first bite leads to an insatiable taste for oil, latkes, applesauce, gelt -- even menorahs! But as the family tries to distract her from her gluttony, the items she devours grow ever larger. Will they be able to reconnect with her and bring her home for the last night of Chanukah -- or will her feasting in fact be fatal? Beyond the joy of a Jewish take on this most American of folk songs, the illustrations here offer hilarious parodies of great works of art by da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Hopper, Rockwell, Matisse, Picasso, and other masters--adding a whole new layer of humor and culture to the familiar tune. You'll love this old lady, and want to visit her every Chanukah for years to come. From School Library Journal K-Gr 3—This version of the familiar cumulative song is given a humorous twist: "I know an old lady who swallowed a dreidel, a Chanukah dreidel she thought was a bagel…Perhaps it's fatal." The song progresses through various traditional foods and symbols, such as oil, latkes, brisket, gelt, and candles, all leading to a large non-fatal "BURP!" Following the original rhyming scheme calls for some verbal acrobatics, which the author handles well, with the exception of substituting "some sauce" for applesauce. Slonim makes an intriguing decision to base the cartoon pictures on famous works of art. "I wanted the art parodies to help the book transcend Chanukah, speaking to the universal human experience of family gatherings and celebrations." So, the old lady is depicted as a winking Mona Lisa, while her family appears in American Gothic and a menorah lights up Van Gogh's The Starry Night. This artistic "what-is-it" adds another layer to the book that is generally appealing and occasionally irksome (the old lady as the young woman in Wyeth's Christina's World.) Still, given the over-the-top silliness of the song, adding a visual game to it doesn't seem excessive and might just spur young readers to locate the original works. A unique addition that could generate a few parodies of its own. Includes an artist's note.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library About the Author Caryn Yacowitz is the author of PUMPKIN FIESTA, illustrated by Joe Cepeda, and THE JADE STONE: A CHINESE FOLKTALE, illustrated by Ju-Hong Chen. She lives in Palo Alto, CA. Please visit her website at www.carynyacowitz.com David Slonim's many children's books include HE CAME WITH THE COUCH, I LOATHE YOU, and MOISHE'S MIRACLE, a NEW YORK TIMES Best Illustrated Books selection. He lives with his family in Chesterfield, Indiana. Please visit his website at www.davidslonim.com.