The Wizard of Oz is a beloved classic story and musical that has captured the hearts of audiences for generations. One of the most iconic and memorable characters from the story is the Wicked Witch of the West. Throughout the musical adaptation, the Wicked Witch has a few notable songs that add depth and dimension to her character. One of the most well-known and catchy songs performed by the Wicked Witch is "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead." This song is celebrated by the citizens of Oz after the accidental demise of the Wicked Witch. The upbeat melody and playful lyrics make this song an instant classic, leaving audiences tapping their toes and singing along with the jubilant citizens of Oz.

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

But that is only the beginning, for the old lady soon abandons herself to more extraordinary measures, with the hilarious result that each new cure begets an ailment more preposterous than the last.

Nadine Bernard Westcott's fresh, rollicking interpretation brings this favorite folk song to life, with its full-color illustrations brimming with silly good fun and marvelous antics sure to be enjoyed again and again.

Genres Picture BooksChildrensPoetryFictionAnimalsMusicMathematics

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Nadine Bernard Westcott

Nadine Bernard Westcott is the illustrator of many popular books for children, including Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash and Mrs. McNosh and the Great Big Squash, as well as the author and illustator of The Lady With The Alligator Purse. She used to spend many hours chasing after her dog, who would come home only when ready and not a minute sooner. Ms. Westcott lives on Nantucket with her husband, Bill.

The upbeat melody and playful lyrics make this song an instant classic, leaving audiences tapping their toes and singing along with the jubilant citizens of Oz. Another notable song performed by the Wicked Witch is "No Bad News." In this song, the Wicked Witch expresses her desire to be left alone and warns against bringing any bad news her way.

Ratings & Reviews

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Community Reviews

I read the book "I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" by Nadine Bernard Westcott. The book is about an old lady who at first swallows a fly. In the book you do not find out why she swallowed the fly. To get rid of the fly she swallows a spider. She continues to swallow other animals to get rid of the one she swallowed before. In the end she swallows a horse and she dies.

In the book there are a lot of characters that do not last very long. The main character of the book is the Old Lady. The Old Lady ends up swallowing all of the other characters. The other characters are a fly, a spider, a bird, a cat, a dog, a goat, a cow, and a horse. The Old Lady continues to get more and more fat from swallowing all the other characters until she dies.

The setting is at the Old Lady's house and around the outside of the house. The Old Lady swallows all of these characters during the day. She also dies during the day.

The theme of this book is cause and effect. It teaches that no matter what you do there will always be consequences. If you do one bad thing it will often lead to another. In the book she eats one bad thing and continues to eat bad things until she dies.

I rated this book four stars because it was a pretty clever and catchy book. I enjoyed the rhymes and how smooth it was to read. I would recommend this book to anyone five years old and older. Especially to older people who want to read a good book to young children.

Time Machine
2.0 out of 5 stars Well I Guess There Is Always One In The Crowd. May 23, 2005

Everyone else seems to adore this book so I guess I have lost my sense of humor because I just don't like this particular version-- at least not for the 3 and under set.

My first objection stems from the use of bug spray by the 'old lady' to get rid of the fly. She is shown sitting on a couch surrounded by cans of depleted insecticide while spraying more in her mouth. Rather than find this funny, it scared me to think that some child might get a notion to copy this activity.

Then second is my objection to boiling a cat and chasing a dog with the same intent. Now most children wouldn't do this so that's not a problem but I still don't like the idea of introducing this weird concept to my little boy. (My son asked me if we needed to keep our cat inside and safe from the neighbors - hmmm.)

The funny part of all of this is that I don't mind when the old lady just pops the animals down her throat. Go figure. In any case, Nadine Westcott is a good story teller and her artwork is clever, but I still have to give this book two stars because of the above reservations.

[A `Thought You Should Know' review]

My daughter and I read this book before nap time today because her preschool teacher read the class a similar book.

This board book has awesome illustrations to go with the lyrics of the titular song. On the second page, along with the words "I don't know why she swallowed a fly, Perhaps she'll die" shows a lady sitting at her table eating some cookies surprised by a fly coming into her mouth. The last page has a ginormous lady lying on the ground outside picking at her teeth with a horseshoe. The corresponding lyrics on this page are altered to "She's full, of course!"

Every single one of my children has enjoyed this book, which takes perhaps five minutes to read.

As a board book, it is geared towards babies and toddlers, but I still break out the occasional board book. I have some that I love.

Although an earworm burrows deep inside my head every time I read/sing this book to my daughter, I still find it fun. Who doesn't like this classic? Weird people, that's who!

I got it free at our library and now I know why. I was reading it to my son before bed time and 🤭🤢.

Wow, this old lady just about ate everything in sight! I am talking about of course the famous folklore tale, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. This version adapted by multi-award winning author Mary Ann Hoberman and Nadine Bernard Westcott, will be sure to have your students laughing out loud and reading along with you. This is a great choice for a read aloud to any Pre K- 2nd grade class as it has a great rhythmic pattern, which will make it easy for your students to get into. Did I mention the illustrations that go along with it are hilarious!

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly tells the story of just that. An old lady swallows a fly and in fear that she'll die (hey I just made a rhyme!) starts eating other insects/animals to catch the previous ones inside of her. These insects/animals include a bird, a spider, what seems to be her pet cat and dog, a goat, and even a cow and a horse. Well what do you think happens at the end of this book after eating a handful of animals? Well she dies, of course!

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly can be used in the classroom in a few ways. The first is through shared reading. After doing a read aloud for your students, they can then participate with you in a shared reading. I think this book is a great choice for a shared reading experience for a few reasons. The first is the rhyming and repetitive text. Throughout the story there are many lines that repeat over and over such as "I know an old lay who swallowed a . " and "She swallowed the . to catch the . " This could be a great choice for early emergent and emergent readers as it is not too complicated. Another way this folklore could be used in the classroom is through more of a creative writing project. After reading this folklore, you could ask children if they believe this to be a real story (non-fiction or fiction). You could then as a class write a story (having each student write a sentence), similar to this one. You could then have the students replace the animals with other animals or foods and replace the old lady with another character (maybe their favorite character from another book or even you the teacher!). This project could help promote community (as the whole class will be working together as a group) and creativity (as they will be thinking of new ideas for a story).

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly: A Hilarious Lift-the-Flap Book!

I know an old lady who swallowed a fly. I don't know why she swallowed the fly—so read along and find out! Meet all the animals that end up in the old lady's tummy—but what will happen when she starts to get a bit full? This is a comical retelling of the favorite nursery rhyme from a popular team, with lift-the-flap pages that are just right for small hands.

Genres ChildrensPoetryFantasyHumor

24 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2003

About the author

Colin Hawkins

Colin Hawkins (1945) was born in Blackpool, England, and won a scholarship to art school at the age of thirteen. He and his wife, Jacqui Hawkins, produced their first children’s book, Witches, in 1981 and over one hundred titles have followed since then.

Her powerful vocals and commanding presence captivate the audience, showcasing the strength and determination of this villainous character. Lastly, the Wicked Witch has a solo song titled "Red Shoes Blues." This poignant song focuses on the Wicked Witch's envy and longing for the iconic ruby slippers worn by Dorothy. The lyrics delve into the Witch's desire for power and the lengths she is willing to go to obtain what she believes is rightfully hers. This song adds depth to the character, allowing the audience to empathize with her motivations and understand her actions throughout the story. Overall, the Wicked Witch's songs in the Wizard of Oz musical help to bring her character to life and give her a voice beyond her wicked actions. These songs allow the audience to see a multifaceted portrayal of the Witch, garnering both fear and sympathy for this powerful antagonist. The music and lyrics enhance the storytelling and further immerse the audience into the magical world of Oz..

Reviews for "The Wicked Witch's Song: From Villain to Icon"

1) Rebecca - 2 stars - I found the "Wizard of Oz wicked witch song" to be repetitive and annoying. The lyrics were simplistic and lacked depth, and the music was forgettable. I also didn't care for the vocal performance, as it felt forced and over-the-top. Overall, I was disappointed with this song and felt it didn't live up to the standards set by other songs in the show.

2) Michael - 1 star - The "Wizard of Oz wicked witch song" is truly dreadful. The melody is grating and the lyrics are cliché. It felt like the song was trying too hard to be scary and menacing, but it ended up just being cringe-worthy. I couldn't wait for it to be over and was relieved when it finally ended. Definitely one of the low points of the show.

3) Sarah - 2 stars - I didn't enjoy the "Wizard of Oz wicked witch song" at all. The lyrics were uninspired and the melody felt repetitive. The vocals were over-dramatic and lacked subtlety. I was expecting a powerful and memorable song, but instead, I was left underwhelmed. It's a shame because the rest of the show had some great songs, but this one fell flat for me.

4) John - 2 stars - I wasn't a fan of the "Wizard of Oz wicked witch song" and found it to be one of the weaker songs in the show. The melody was forgettable and the lyrics were forgettable as well. The whole song felt like filler and didn't add much to the overall plot or character development. I would have preferred if they had skipped this song altogether and focused on stronger musical moments.

The Wicked Witch's Song: Defying Expectations in 'The Wizard of Oz