I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dreidel
words by Caryn Yacowitz
pictures by David Slomin
This goofy spoof of the old lady who swallowed a fly, instead follows an old lady’s journey after she accidentally swallows a dreidel. With lots of Chanukah references, including latkes, oil, gelt, and, of course, a menorah, this book is pure fun. My favorite part though is the illustrations that pay homage to famous works of art. You’ll see parodies of Mona Lisa, American Gothic, and The Starry Night, amongst others equally recognizable. I really liked the illustrator’s note in the back of the book talking about the reason he decided to parody these famous works. There is a link under his note claiming to link to the actual art pieces these were based on, but it didn’t seem to be working. So, if you’d like to view these for yourself or for your kids, I’ve attached links below.
Mona Lisa
American Gothic
The Scream
The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp
The Milkmaid
Nighthawks
Campbell’s Soup Cans
Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1 (Whistler’s Mother)
Doctor and Doll
The Starry Night
Spectrum II
The Thinker
Christina’s World
Dance (I)