There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Pam Adams (Child's Play)

Wow! A sprightly 40 year old, and still as brilliant a book as it was when first published 40 years ago. Pam Adams' sublime version of the favourite (if slightly icky) nursery rhyme "There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" is now available in several versions to celebrate the book's anniversary.

With each turn of the page, the old lady's bizarre diet is revealed. Children may know the rhyme well, but this retelling is utterly perfect, as each page features cutaways to show what that little old lady (with her pockets stuffed with sweeties) has been munching on!

It's easy to see why this book has lasted so well, and is still a brilliantly entertaining read - regardless of the age of your child. Charlotte loves the slightly gross and macabre, so I was tickled pink to see what her reaction to the book was. Our version retained the fabulous 'cutaway' bits (and the rather untimely end for the poor old dear) as the old lady scoffs through various animals, all to see off that rotten fly. Pam Adams' skill in producing a work so enduring laid such a brilliant foundation for a publishing house who have always been at the forefront of inclusive, energetic and original children's books.

Don't take our word for it though! If you want to win a copy, we're running a competition until the end of October to win a copy in one of three categories. All you need to do is come up with an amusing end to the line "There was an old lady who swallowed a...."

Check out our competition page here and some of the entries so far!

Charlotte's best bit: Unicorn Land, which is indeed as fabulous as you'd imagine a Unicorn's garden would be! Daddy's Favourite bit: It's crazy, surreal with a mouthful of a title and some serious nose thumbing at "The picture book rulebook" but who couldn't love it for that!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Child's Play )