There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow!

by Lucille Colandro, Jared Lee (Illustrator)

Overview

Go on a colorful ride in this installment of the bestselling Old Lady series! You'll never guess what she'll swallow next!

There was an old lady who swallowed a rainbow.

I don’t know why she swallowed a rainbow.

Would you like to know?

The Old Lady is back and this time she's swallowing a rainbow, a cloud, some glitter, a cone, a pole... and more! This magical twist on the classic rhyme will delight and entertain all young readers!

Also in the There Was an Old Lady series:

• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon!
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!
• There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Ghost!
• and more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781546138525
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	01/07/2025
Series:	There Was an Old Lady Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Lucille Colandro has written many books for children, including the bestselling There Was an Old Lady series illustrated by Jared Lee.

Jared Lee has illustrated more than 100 books for young readers. He has received awards from the Society of Illustrators, the Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Library Association, the National Cartoonists Society, and others. He lives in Ohio with his wife and a menagerie of dogs, cats, ponies, ducks, and a few unknown creatures.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow!:

''As per the astoundingly successful formula, the repetitive text is irresistible and the zany art is more than half the fun.'' — Kirkus

From the Publisher

2024-09-14
Swallowing a rainbow sets off a series of events that lead to a surprising conclusion.

The title character begins by consuming a cloud—and who hasn’t wished to do that? The cloud is meant to carry the rainbow, but why did she swallow it? The somewhat weak answer: “I don’t know why she swallowed a rainbow. Would you like to know?” The cloud is followed by glitter (kids, don’t try this at home!), then by a cone to catch the glitter, a pole to lift the cone, ribbon to tie the cone, and a horse (“silly, of course”). Then suddenly the lady starts to run, and the items painlessly reappear. The cone becomes a unicorn’s horn, and the unicorn becomes part of a small carousel with golden, beribboned poles and two more matching unicorns, topped with the glitter-sprinkled cloud and the rainbow arching over all. The dame and a half-dozen children stand watching in breathless excitement. As per the astoundingly successful formula, the repetitive text is irresistible and the zany art is more than half the fun. The dame’s head swells to accommodate a mouth capable of the necessary swallowing feats, and her small black dog—whose mouth stretches from ear to nose—is on hand to celebrate key moments. The old lady has pink skin and dark hair, and the children have a range of skin tones.

The insatiable elder is still ingesting the unpalatable, to kids’ everlasting amusement.(Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews