P.Crumble (text) Louis Shea (illus.), There was an Old Mozzie who Swallowed a Lady, Scholastic Australia, 1 Nov 2015, 24pp., $14.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781743623831
There was an Old Mozzie who Swallowed a Lady is the sequel to the popular book, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Mozzie in the series by P. Crumble and Louis Shea.
Following the format of the well-known rhyme, Crumble crafts a comical tale of the mozzie’s revenge.
There was an old Mozzie who swallowed a lady
I don’t know why he swallowed the lady …
That’s just crazy.
It is crazy. The mozzie goes on to swallow a horse, a girl guide, a Dalmatian dog, an insect zapper, a bug swat and a toad. I can’t tell you exactly what happens in the end, but I can give you a hint. It rhymes with ‘toad’.
Kids will laugh at the ridiculous chain of events, delight in the repetition and discover wonderful subplots hidden in the pictures.
Louis Shea’s bold, colourful illustrations marry beautifully with the rhyme. I particularly like how Shea manages to capture emotions and show them on the faces of the characters.
I recommend reading this book with kids aged from 4 to 7 years old.
Kids who like this will also enjoy P Crumble’s other titles – There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Star, There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Meerkat, There was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Bunny and There was an Old Bloke who Swallowed a Chook.
Reviewed by Wendy Fitzgerald