Golly Gump Swallowed a Fly

by Joanna Cole, Bari Weissman (Illustrator)

An easy-to-read, illustrated work features a delightful story and a Note to Grown-ups that includes a guide to significant themes and concepts at work in the story, ideas for reading and discussion, and games for learning.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Poetry

45 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Joanna Cole, who also wrote under the pseudonym B. J. Barnet, was an author of children’s books who teaches science.

She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books. Joanna Cole wrote over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series Magic School Bus.

Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She loved science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A re-imagining of the verse "There was an old woman who swallowed a fly..." A fun read-aloud with amusing illustrations.

[Ashley Moser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a rip off of An Old lady who Swallowed a Fly, but still would be good for beginning readers.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom recently cleaned out the house and found a bunch of books from when we were little. Of course she gave them all to me. They certainly bring back memories of reading them over and over and over again. 30 years later and I still remember these stories. The books themselves may be a little worse for wear but the stories are still wonderful.

Very funny progressive story.

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Golly Gump swallowed many things. It is very funny!

[Chrystal]

A childhood favorite Noah and I are passing on to Lucas.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always cover your mouth when you yawn ... otherwise, you never know what you might swallow.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites as a kid and even better now that I can read it to my kids.