[(There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie )] [Author: Rebecca Colby] [May-2014]

by Rebecca Colby

"There was a wee lassie who swallowed a midgie. I don't know why she swallowed the midgie,So teeny and squidgy!"In this hilarious twist on the much-loved rhyme, the wee lassie swallows a succession of Scotland's favourite creatures to catch that pesky midge -- including a puffin, a Scottie dog, a seal, and even Nessie!After all that, she can't still be hungry. Can she?Kate McLelland's funny, engaging illustrations bring to life this uniquely Scottish version of a classic rhyme.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Scotland

Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Before writing for children, Rebecca worked for a Russian comedian, taught English in Taiwan, traveled the world as a tour director, and worked as a librarian. Born in America, she now lives in England.

Rebecca writes picture books and poetry and is represented by Kathleen Rushall of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Her books include: THE CASTLE THE KING BUILT (Nosy Crow & The National Trust, 2021), BEATRIX AND HER BUNNIES (Nosy Crow & The National Trust, 2021), CROCODILES NEED KISSES TOO (Viking/Penguin Random House, 2020), MOTOR GOOSE: RHYMES THAT GO! (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 2017), CAPTAIN BLING'S CHRISTMAS PLUNDER (Albert Whitman & Co, 2017), IT'S RAINING BATS AND FROGS (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, 2015), THERE WAS A WEE LASSIE WHO SWALLOWED A MIDGIE (Floris Picture Kelpies, 2014), and 24 early readers in the Peapod Readers Ivy & Mack series (Collins, 2020).

Reviews

[Julie Fulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful retelling of the traditional tale of the old woman who swallowed a fly. Now set in Scotland, the Wee Lassie of the title has the misfortune to swallow a midgie, so teeny and squidgie. She then manages to down a whole host of Scottish creatures in her efforts to sort out said midgie. A twist in the ending makes it a very different result when compared to the demise of the old woman of the original tale - inspired!
The text fits the rhythm and form of the original tale perfectly - I found myself singing it in my head as I read through the story. The pictures are great - from the very mischievous and hungry-looking Wee Lassie to the beautifully created, almost Escher-like house on every other page, that depicts the journey of each creature through the Lassie's innards, becoming more and more overcrowded as the story unfolds.
I highly recommend this book for anyone with young children, or who is simply young at heart themselves!

[Bobbi Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the language in this retelling of the familiar tale, the old woman who swallowed a fly. Rebecca uses the Scottish landscape to tell the story about “a wee Lassie who swallowed a midgie, so tiny and squidgy!” Following the traditional cumulative format, this reading offers a simple plot: to catch the midgie, the wee lassie swallows a puffin, a Scottie dog, a trout, a seal and even Nessie! The narrative engages in tongue-twisting repetition: the wee lassie swallows a trout, who flip-flopped, swim-swam and bubbled about! Illustrated by Kate McLelland, this is a great, great read aloud!

[Writer, · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious and clever twist on an old nursery rhyme (The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly) only much more charming and less gruesome with Scottish terms that are sure to endear. Great cadence and lovely illustrations.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new twist on the old rhyme, complete with wonderful illustrations. The 3yo loves the repetition, learning the rhythm of the words, and it's entertaining enough that I don't mind re-reading it as often as requested!

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie is perfect for story time read-a-louds. The fun, rhythmic text is complimented by bright, clean illustrations. A huge fold-out picture carries the humorous punchline. Although softcover, it is surprisingly sturdy with crisp heavyweight pages and adorable front endpapers. I highly recommend this delightful picture book.

[Mary Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great SCOTTISH addition to my collection of There was a ______ who swallowed a _______ " books!

[Myrna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book with beautiful illustrations!
I bought this book for my grandchildren. They all know the rhyme “There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly”, and as their grandfather is part Scottish, I thought this book might be a good way to share their Scottish heritage with them. The book did not disappoint. The wee lassie swallows all kinds of Scottish animals and birds, and unlike the old lady, the wee lassie gets a happy ending. It’s a fun read and the illustrations are beautiful. I liked how the wee lassie’s stomach was made to look like a house as well—such a clever idea. While the book does not set out to teach Scottish vocabulary, my grandchildren now know what lassies, midgies, and lochs are, and it has definitely made them curious about Scotland. I’d recommend it for most children from 3-7 years, regardless of whether or not they have an interest in Scotland.

[Christina Banach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children and adults alike will adore this beautiful book. It's a cleverly imaginative Scottish take on that old favourite The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, but it's much more than that. Rebecca Colby’s playful, rhythmic language – complete with fun tongue twisters interspersed with bang-up-to-date language - is an absolute delight and is perfect for reading aloud. Add to this Kate McLelland’s wonderful illustrations and you have a modern classic. Highly recommended!

[Clare Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clever twist on a well known tale. The repetitive language is well chosen and so much fun to say aloud. Children will love joining in with the refrain 'so teeny and squidgy!' Kate McLelland's illustrations add a little something extra to Colby's excellent rhyming verse. The water work scenes are a joy to study... and then there's the fold out page!

[Yvonne Ventresca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun Scottish take on the traditional "there was an old lady who swallowed a fly." Kids familiar with the original will like this unique spin on the rhyme, which includes a Nessie and a Scottie.

[Kaite · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won a free copy from the Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Program. I gave it to my younger brother and he enjoyed reading it.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

My neice loved this book the Scottish twist to this nursery ryhme is brilliant. she loved the pictures in this book this book will do well.really good kids book.

[MaWhit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It's really not legal to swallow an eagle.”

“It's especially messy to swallow a Nessie.”

[Hilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an adorable book and so Scottish. I love this retelling of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. It was so cute and honestly a great book to talk about Scotland. It has all of Scotland's most known animals. She starts with a midgie (tiny fly), then a trout, puffin, eagle, seal, cow, Nessie, and ends with a lock (lake). It's adorable and I love it!

There was a wee lassie who swallowed a midgie. I don't know why she swallowed the midgie, so teeny and squidgy!

There was a wee lassie who swallowed a loch. It was massive but, och, she swallowed a loch!

#booksIboughtwhentraveling #Edinburgh #Scotland

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely wee twist to a classic story. We had a giggle reading this. Really catchy and the illustrations are beautiful. My girls loved looking at the home inside the wee lassies belly. Nessie is definitely a firm favourite.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun!

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute version!

[John of Canada · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's fun to read aloud with a Scottish accent(think Sean Connery) and the artwork is really fun.

[Sameen Farouk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant little story for kids. Easy to keep entertained and outrageously absurd. I sometimes read this to myself when having a bad day.

[David Bril]

This Scottish take on the Old Lady series is super in every way! First of the book is solid, with great paper and not easy to break spine. The story is fantastic, given us lots of Scottish themed items, including Nessie. The animation is excellent, superb colours and the stomach of the Lassie is just tremendous, working like pipes running through a house. The kids loved this one and so did I. One of the best of the lot.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

There Once was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly is a greatly loved rhyme. This book is a Scottish take that will have kids giggling and talking in Scottish accents. Imaginations can run crazy as the story is read.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic picture book for kids. Teaches animals native to Scotland. My 2 year old loves this book - perhaps her most requested one! :D

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Scottish version of "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie". Cute and creative story.

[Francine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's alright.

I don't really like these types of songs/rhymes/stories that keep adding on to themselves and getting longer, so that's kind of a hard turn-off for me. But the illustrations look good, and the plot (of a small girl who eats a fly, and then starts eating lots of weird things to get rid of it) is silly in an endearing sort of way.