What do you think?
Rate this book
Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop: A Tale of a Very Greedy Cat
Who ever heard of a cat so greedy it swallowed its friend, the parrot, then a nosy old woman, a farmer and his donkey, and even the sultan’s royal wedding procession? Meilo So’s hungry, irascible tabby just opens his mouth and—gobble, gobble, slip, slop—down its gullet they go. Each page shows the cat getting fatter and fatter until two small land crabs put an end to the cat’s greed. With a glorious gatefold pull-out, So wraps up her story with all of the victims, including the sultan’s elephant, tumbling out of the cat’s tummy as good as new.
Retold from an Indian folktale, it’s as preposterous as “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” and much more fun. Children will join in the gobble, gobble, slip, slop refrain and want to look at the irresistible artwork again and again.
Retold from an Indian folktale, it’s as preposterous as “The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly” and much more fun. Children will join in the gobble, gobble, slip, slop refrain and want to look at the irresistible artwork again and again.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published March 9, 2004
1 person is currently reading
42 people want to read
About the author
Meilo So
51 books11 followersMeilo So is the illustrator of such beautiful, award-winning books such as Moonbeams, Dumplings, and Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities, and Recipes and The White Swan Express: A Story about Adoption. She lives in the Shetland Islands, UK.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 21, 2009
This cumulative text story reminds me a little of the gingerbread man as the greedy cat boasts about his cunning....."I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, I've eaten the nosy old woman, I've eaten the farmer and his donkey, I've eaten the sultan and his entire wedding procession and I certainly can eat two little crabs, I can, I can."
This is a very fun to read, pretty to look at lesson about greed and friendship.
This is a very fun to read, pretty to look at lesson about greed and friendship.
February 29, 2016
Title: Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop: A Tale of a Very Greedy Cat
Author: Meilo So
Illustrator: Sara Cone Bryant
Genre: Non-European Folktale, Concept Book
Theme(s): Animals, Folklore, India Folklore, Food, Friends, Greed
Opening Line/Sentence:
Once there was a cat and a parrot that decided to take turns preparing meals for each other.
Brief Book Summary:
This story is about a greedy cat that only thinks of him and goes along and eats all the cakes that his friend made him and is still hungry after that. The cat eats his friend the parrot and then continues to eat every animal and people that comes in his way. Eventually the crabs that the cat ate cut open the cats stomach with their claws and all the animals and humans exit the greedy cats stomach. At the end of the book the cat’s friend the parrot comes to him and tells him that he wasn’t a good friend and the cat realizes that he has been very greedy and promises to never be that greedy ever again.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
GraceAnne DeCandido (Booklist, Mar. 15, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 14))
So's raucous, wildly exaggerated tale from India, which focuses on the evils of gluttony, will remind readers of a certain old lady. A cat and a parrot decide to take turns preparing meals for each other. The cat makes the parrot three grains of rice, and the parrot makes the cat 500 cakes. The cat eats them all, demands more, and then eats the parrot! Still hungry, "gobble, gobble, slip, slop" Cat devours an old woman who scolds him, a farmer and his donkey, the sultan, his bride, his elephant, and his soldiers. The blue-gray tabby gets bigger and bigger (and more unhappy looking) until he finally swallows two crabs. They cut a hole in his tummy and let everyone out. So illustrates it all with ink and watercolors on buff-colored rice paper, a neutral base for the splendidly vivid and evocative images inspired by both Western and Eastern traditions. The impressionistic art shows echoes of Persian and Indian miniatures, Chinese silk painting, and European folk patterns. Much giggling will ensue. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2004, Knopf, $15.95, $17.99. K-Gr. 2
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, April 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 8))
A greedy cat eats more than his share in another new version of this popular traditional tale (see Thomson, Drat That Fat Cat!, BCCB 1/04). A parrot and a cat take turns preparing meals for one another, but when the parrot's "five hundred delicious little cakes" fail to fill the cat's tummy, the cat eats the parrot, too ("Gobble, gobble, slip, slop"). Called to task by "a nosy old woman," the cat replies: "'I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, and I can eat you too, I can, I can.' So gobble, gobble, slip, slop the cat ate the old woman." The by-now-fat cat is unsatisfied and proceeds down the road, where he fills his tummy with a farmer and his donkey, a sultan and his bride, soldiers and an elephant, and two little crabs. Inside the cat's tummy, things are a bit crowded, but the two crabs know what to do, and, "snip, snip, snip," they cut a hole in the belly of the fat cat and everyone emerges into the light, "and last of all, out flew the parrot with a little cake in each claw." The cat swears to be good, the parrot sews up the hole in the cat's belly, and everyone lives happily ever after--at least until the next meal. The smooth adaptation (a source note is included) makes this ideal for reading or telling aloud, although the illustrations may be more suited to lap than group viewing. That being said, the ink and watercolor on rice paper images are gloriously rendered, the flowing lines of the animal and human characters highlighted by splashes of gem-like color. The fat cat himself grows progressively rounder, his bulging tummy and curly whiskers indicating supreme satisfaction of a sensual sort. This is another worthy entry in the gallery of enticing fat-kitty variants. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Knopf, 32p, $17.99 and $15.95. Ages 3-5 yrs.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
In the professional reviews above both professionals stated that the illustrations were done very nicely throughout this book, I agree that the illustrations were very colorful and appealing to the reader. I agree with the second professional review where the illustrator did a good job of increasing the cat’s size as it continued to keep eating people and other animals and food. This gave the readers an actual visual of the cat getting bigger because of how much it was eating. I also agree with both reviews of mentioning the idea of greed that is portrayed in this book for the reader to understand. I do not agree with the reviews that the cat ate humans and animals bigger than the actual size of the cat because that become very unrealistic but that can be used for humor for the reader.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book does a great job of presenting repetition and repeated phrases throughout it all so it can be easy for the reader to actively interact and read the story as well with familiar words throughout the story. The moral of this story is understandable for the reader and the lesson of how greed is not something to be proud of. The author did a good job of making the theme in this story recognizable through the idea of greed. The author could have elaborated more on the setting of the story for the reader. The theme of this story was about greed and that the cat lost all his friends because of his greed which the author made very understandable for readers. I did like the other moral of this story of forgiveness at the end of this story.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
An instructional application I would create a T-Chart to do with the students during circle time. I would do something similar to Debbie Millers approach by creating two columns and having the underlying question be “What is greed?” I would start out before even reading the book to the students about their ideas and prior knowledge about what greed means. I would then read the book to the students and afterwards from the knowledge and events that occur in the book I would ask the children to add more about their ideas of greed into the other column. After the students are done offering their ideas and opinions I think it would be a great idea to display this T-Chart in the classroom so the children can also look back at it to familiarize themselves with the idea of greed.
Author: Meilo So
Illustrator: Sara Cone Bryant
Genre: Non-European Folktale, Concept Book
Theme(s): Animals, Folklore, India Folklore, Food, Friends, Greed
Opening Line/Sentence:
Once there was a cat and a parrot that decided to take turns preparing meals for each other.
Brief Book Summary:
This story is about a greedy cat that only thinks of him and goes along and eats all the cakes that his friend made him and is still hungry after that. The cat eats his friend the parrot and then continues to eat every animal and people that comes in his way. Eventually the crabs that the cat ate cut open the cats stomach with their claws and all the animals and humans exit the greedy cats stomach. At the end of the book the cat’s friend the parrot comes to him and tells him that he wasn’t a good friend and the cat realizes that he has been very greedy and promises to never be that greedy ever again.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
GraceAnne DeCandido (Booklist, Mar. 15, 2004 (Vol. 100, No. 14))
So's raucous, wildly exaggerated tale from India, which focuses on the evils of gluttony, will remind readers of a certain old lady. A cat and a parrot decide to take turns preparing meals for each other. The cat makes the parrot three grains of rice, and the parrot makes the cat 500 cakes. The cat eats them all, demands more, and then eats the parrot! Still hungry, "gobble, gobble, slip, slop" Cat devours an old woman who scolds him, a farmer and his donkey, the sultan, his bride, his elephant, and his soldiers. The blue-gray tabby gets bigger and bigger (and more unhappy looking) until he finally swallows two crabs. They cut a hole in his tummy and let everyone out. So illustrates it all with ink and watercolors on buff-colored rice paper, a neutral base for the splendidly vivid and evocative images inspired by both Western and Eastern traditions. The impressionistic art shows echoes of Persian and Indian miniatures, Chinese silk painting, and European folk patterns. Much giggling will ensue. Category: Books for the Young--Fiction. 2004, Knopf, $15.95, $17.99. K-Gr. 2
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Janice M. Del Negro (The Bulletin of the Center for Children s Books, April 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 8))
A greedy cat eats more than his share in another new version of this popular traditional tale (see Thomson, Drat That Fat Cat!, BCCB 1/04). A parrot and a cat take turns preparing meals for one another, but when the parrot's "five hundred delicious little cakes" fail to fill the cat's tummy, the cat eats the parrot, too ("Gobble, gobble, slip, slop"). Called to task by "a nosy old woman," the cat replies: "'I've eaten five hundred cakes, I've eaten my friend the parrot, and I can eat you too, I can, I can.' So gobble, gobble, slip, slop the cat ate the old woman." The by-now-fat cat is unsatisfied and proceeds down the road, where he fills his tummy with a farmer and his donkey, a sultan and his bride, soldiers and an elephant, and two little crabs. Inside the cat's tummy, things are a bit crowded, but the two crabs know what to do, and, "snip, snip, snip," they cut a hole in the belly of the fat cat and everyone emerges into the light, "and last of all, out flew the parrot with a little cake in each claw." The cat swears to be good, the parrot sews up the hole in the cat's belly, and everyone lives happily ever after--at least until the next meal. The smooth adaptation (a source note is included) makes this ideal for reading or telling aloud, although the illustrations may be more suited to lap than group viewing. That being said, the ink and watercolor on rice paper images are gloriously rendered, the flowing lines of the animal and human characters highlighted by splashes of gem-like color. The fat cat himself grows progressively rounder, his bulging tummy and curly whiskers indicating supreme satisfaction of a sensual sort. This is another worthy entry in the gallery of enticing fat-kitty variants. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Knopf, 32p, $17.99 and $15.95. Ages 3-5 yrs.
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
In the professional reviews above both professionals stated that the illustrations were done very nicely throughout this book, I agree that the illustrations were very colorful and appealing to the reader. I agree with the second professional review where the illustrator did a good job of increasing the cat’s size as it continued to keep eating people and other animals and food. This gave the readers an actual visual of the cat getting bigger because of how much it was eating. I also agree with both reviews of mentioning the idea of greed that is portrayed in this book for the reader to understand. I do not agree with the reviews that the cat ate humans and animals bigger than the actual size of the cat because that become very unrealistic but that can be used for humor for the reader.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
This book does a great job of presenting repetition and repeated phrases throughout it all so it can be easy for the reader to actively interact and read the story as well with familiar words throughout the story. The moral of this story is understandable for the reader and the lesson of how greed is not something to be proud of. The author did a good job of making the theme in this story recognizable through the idea of greed. The author could have elaborated more on the setting of the story for the reader. The theme of this story was about greed and that the cat lost all his friends because of his greed which the author made very understandable for readers. I did like the other moral of this story of forgiveness at the end of this story.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
An instructional application I would create a T-Chart to do with the students during circle time. I would do something similar to Debbie Millers approach by creating two columns and having the underlying question be “What is greed?” I would start out before even reading the book to the students about their ideas and prior knowledge about what greed means. I would then read the book to the students and afterwards from the knowledge and events that occur in the book I would ask the children to add more about their ideas of greed into the other column. After the students are done offering their ideas and opinions I think it would be a great idea to display this T-Chart in the classroom so the children can also look back at it to familiarize themselves with the idea of greed.
Read
September 28, 2016A book of many sounds, the story "Gobble, Gobble, Slip, Slop" by Meilo So is a great book to have a read aloud with, thanks to the onomatopoeia very colorfully strewn through it's pages. And not only fun with language, readers will also learn a lesson about the importance of not being greedy. Every page looks aged, as though it's an old tale, although the colors used on these pages are vibrant. From the colors of the animals to the color of the people, Meilo found a way to make everyone besides the cat to be colorful--including the words of onomatopoeia. The literary element that seemed most prominent was Theme, with the cat being greedy, and them having to pay the price in the end. Although, I feel plot and character took some important roles in this story also. The curiosity of what will happen to the greedy cat in the end would drive the reader to read until the end, and although not a necessarily good character, the Cat was a very round character, whose attitude was a big part of the story.
January 16, 2011
A greedy cat eats all the 500 cakes his friend the parrot makes, then eats the parrot, then eats the woman who scolds him for eating the parrot, and so on. The cat ends up eating a a bunch of soldiers and even an elephant, getting bigger all the time. Sort of like The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It fit in with the folk tales we've been reading, but probably a bit young for Logan (6.5). He picked it out because it had a cat on the front and we both liked the illustrations, but the story was too predictable and repetitive for his age. We laughed over the pictures, but I could tell L knew what was going to happen and was bored before it did.
March 23, 2019
A cumulative tale about a cat who eats everything he runs into - he is very hungry and has no thoughts for others, including his parrot friend.
This book is supposed to be humorous. Not for me.
Could be interactive for those inclined to use this in storytime.
"Gobble, gobble. Slip, slop."
This book is supposed to be humorous. Not for me.
Could be interactive for those inclined to use this in storytime.
"Gobble, gobble. Slip, slop."
June 16, 2024
This Indian folktale gives new meaning to the expression "fat cat."
The cat's greedy, slurpy way with eating is kind of gross, and the ending of this book -- while disgusting -- is likely to fascinate children.
The imposible sequence of eating may seem familiar to readers who've heard "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly." Only this insatiable cat is noisy. Also, her eating exploits, and the accompanying illustrations, are way vivid.
The happy ending includes... regurgitation. With a three-page illustration tucked in, near the end of the book.
FIVE STARS for this tour de force.
The cat's greedy, slurpy way with eating is kind of gross, and the ending of this book -- while disgusting -- is likely to fascinate children.
The imposible sequence of eating may seem familiar to readers who've heard "I know an old lady who swallowed a fly." Only this insatiable cat is noisy. Also, her eating exploits, and the accompanying illustrations, are way vivid.
The happy ending includes... regurgitation. With a three-page illustration tucked in, near the end of the book.
FIVE STARS for this tour de force.
December 27, 2020
A wonderful, imaginative book. Fun and entertaining (especially if read by a parent with half a sense of humor). It's a children's book. Enjoy it.
April 27, 2025
Silly little cat eatin tooo much. Retold from the Indian folktale "The Cat and the Parrot." Beautiful illustrations set against fun paper
June 19, 2007
I can't remember how I found this book. I just discovered it on the hold shelf under my name today. What a surprise!
The illustrations in this book are just delicious!! Meilo So's brush and ink work on rice paper is really a treat. The detail and color really bring this story to life.
This picture book is a re-telling of an Indian tale about a very greedy cat who gobbles things up. The tale is good but predictable (as most cautionary ones are) but I gave it a higher score because there's lots of room to play with words during story times. This book reminds me of the beep beep bird story that Michelle read in class. With lots of fun sounds and illustrations this book is a very good choice for story times.
The illustrations in this book are just delicious!! Meilo So's brush and ink work on rice paper is really a treat. The detail and color really bring this story to life.
This picture book is a re-telling of an Indian tale about a very greedy cat who gobbles things up. The tale is good but predictable (as most cautionary ones are) but I gave it a higher score because there's lots of room to play with words during story times. This book reminds me of the beep beep bird story that Michelle read in class. With lots of fun sounds and illustrations this book is a very good choice for story times.
January 28, 2016
This book is about two friends, a cat and a parrot. They take turns fixing each other supper and the cat was greedy after the parrot prepared him a huge supper and ate the parrot. The cat goes on and eats several other people and animals. The cat gets so fat and miserable that he can barely move but still continues to eat one more animal. The rest of the story is about what results in him being greedy.
This book wasn't my favorite but it was ok. Cats aren't my favorite animal so that's probably part of the reason. I do think it has a good lesson to it though.
This book would be good to teach on greediness. The cat wasn't thinking of anyone but himself. Kids need to know that you need to consider others' feelings and be considerate.
This book wasn't my favorite but it was ok. Cats aren't my favorite animal so that's probably part of the reason. I do think it has a good lesson to it though.
This book would be good to teach on greediness. The cat wasn't thinking of anyone but himself. Kids need to know that you need to consider others' feelings and be considerate.
February 23, 2008
A greedy cat eats 500 cakes, a parrot, a farmer and his donkey, and more in this retelling of a century-old tale from India. So’s watercolor illustrations have a distinctly Asian feel and carry the silly story nicely as the gluttonous feline’s belly grows bigger and bigger. Early elementary students will quickly join in the repetitive refrain of “gobble, gobble, slip, slop,” and will grin with pleasure as the cat gets his comeuppance at the claws of two little crabs. Pair this with The Gingerbread Man for a lesson on cumulative folk tales.
May 17, 2010
Similar to There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly in that the cat eats more and more outrageous things. Also similar to Little Red Riding Hood in that the things the cat eats remain whole in his stomach and are able to resume their lives as usual by the story's conclusion. I enjoyed the artwork and it was a pretty funny story overall. I think it'd be a nice read aloud for an older audience (school age children vs. Pre-K).
January 4, 2016
Meilo So adapted an India folktale to tell this cumulative tale that will remind some of the Old Lady who swallowed a fly. (So based the book on a retelling of the India folktale "The Cat and the Parrot" appearing in How to Tell Stories to Children by Sara Cone Bryant published by Houghton Mifflin in Boston in 1905.)
A solid companion text is Gita Wolf and Sunita's Gobble You Up! published in 2013 by Tara Books (Chennai, India).
A solid companion text is Gita Wolf and Sunita's Gobble You Up! published in 2013 by Tara Books (Chennai, India).
May 9, 2009
In this story based on a folktale from India, a very greedy cat eats five hundred cakes, his friend the parrot, the nosy old woman, and much more.
Retold from the Indian folktale 'The cat and the parrot' appearing in 'How to tell stories to children' by Sara Cone Bryant (Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1905).
"A Borzoi book."
www.hcpl.net
Retold from the Indian folktale 'The cat and the parrot' appearing in 'How to tell stories to children' by Sara Cone Bryant (Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1905).
"A Borzoi book."
www.hcpl.net
March 22, 2012
This is a tale of a very greedy cat. I think this story probaby falls under a fable. The animals in the story have human characteristics. And there is a lesson to be learned. Don't be too greedy or at the end you might end up with nothing at all. It's also another version of a another tale, which I think is The old lady who swallowed a fly.
November 8, 2012
This is a humorous cumulative tale about a cat who eats all kinds of animals and people. The story is a bit silly, but our girls loved the onomatopoeia and the funny ending. The illustrations are a bit fuzzy, but overall they help to depict the absurdity of the story. We enjoyed reading this story together.
March 13, 2015
And entertainingly greedy cat is at the center of this Indian cumulative tale. The pictures are charming; the repeated refrain is satisfyingly silly. It's reminiscent of the Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly or The Gingerbread Boy, since our fat greedy cat gets his comeuppance. I expect some readers will not like the way others use the word "fat" in addressing the cat.
October 24, 2012
This is a pretty good book. Once you get over the part of the cat being a villain, it is okay. The lessons here are very obvious: don't be greedy, and learn how to be a better friend! I wonder if this could be tied into a social skills lesson.
December 18, 2014
great mildly maudlin read aloud
April 11, 2009
A very greedy cat eats everything he encounters until his prey snip their way out of his belly. A fun cumulative tale for storytimes.
November 26, 2010
Meilo So's artworks are gorgeous, but the story is charming in its own right.
May 1, 2011
Very intertaining. Great for children to earn consequences of greed.
June 13, 2011
This was a great story for storytime. The kids loved the impossibility of each thing the cat ate and goodness knows we need to start educating about the dangers of overeating! Ha!
April 17, 2017
I'm always looking for folktales to read in storytime, but mostly they're really long and actually written for older kids. So finding one for younger kids is always fun. And this one was pretty hilarious. The kids enjoyed it, and I did too.
October 20, 2017
Gobble Gobble Slip Slop was a children's book about the life of a very greedy cat. This book teaches children that it is better to have good friends than to have everything all about you in life. It is a very good book that teaches a lesson.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews