Looking for a new read aloud? One that’s absurd—sure to make kids laugh? Look no further. But what’s truly special about this book is its design and illustrations. The cover gives the reader a hint.
The giant’s stomach is a die-cut hole, filled with goodies.
And as we open the book and read the first spread, we see the verse beginning to accumulate on the left hand page while the giant’s stomach grows larger with each page turn. It’s truly an ingenious design.
There was an old giant who swallowed a clock.
He had such a shock when he swallowed that clock!
Tick-tock,
Tick-tock.
There was an old giant who swallowed his knitting.
All in one sitting he swallowed his knitting!
He swallowed his knitting to muffle the clock.
He had such a shock when he swallowed that clock!
Tick-tock,
Tick-tock.
There was an old giant who swallowed a moth!
That fluttered and flapped and gobbled up cloth.
He swallowed the moth to munch through the knitting.
All in one sitting he swallowed his knitting!…
The wonderfully silly lyrics highlight the items that end up in this giant’s stomach. As a read aloud, it will surely be a crowd pleaser. And for older kids, it would be fun and interesting to see them write, draw, and cut out their own cumulative tales once they’ve chewed on this dose of illustration inspiration.
Jilanne Hoffmann 
My kids would have loved this one when they were little, and I would have loved reading it to them!
My son would have loved this rhyming book, too. And the illustrations have lots of details that are quite entertaining.
An image just popped into my mind. Remember that moment in Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life when Terry Jones ate a ‘”wafer thin mint”?
Oh, yes! The ending of this one is quite original. This giant never upchucks or explodes. When he finishes up with a moon rock for dessert, he floats away from his plate and into the sky.
That’s kinda nice!
What a romping read!
Yes, it should be very popular, LOL.
Hope I can find this – would be great for toddler storytime!
Yes, indeedy. And please note that it’s written and illustrated by women!
Score!
Looks like I need to check out this book if I want to find out what the giant ate after the moth. What an adorable retelling of a favorite story from my childhood! 🙂
Yes, it would be interesting to compare this version with the original and with Penny Klosterman’s “The Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight.”
Sounds like a hilarious read. Illustrations are a hoot!
A hoot and a holler. I get indigestion just looking at that giant’s stomach.
I am often underwhelmed by these retellings but this one sounds a hoot!
In this case, I think the book’s design is key to making it stand out from others of its ilk.
This looks like a fun read aloud. The pictures are humorous and fun. Thanks for the recommendation.
this looks so fun to read! And the die cuts are to die for. Cool!
This sounds hilarious. And kids will have fun repeating the words. Fun book.
It is funny, and I can just imagine them chanting the cumulative refrain.
Oh, this looks like such a fun book. Illustrations are very cool.
It is. The illustrations are definitely what make this book so special. Cheers!