There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed a Midgie (Picture Kelpies)

What a brilliant book! My Dad used to sing me the original version when I was small so I have always had a soft spot for it and, living close to the sea, I was delighted when I found 'There was an old lady who swallowed the sea' when my own child was very small, so we enjoyed both of those versions. Having been up to Scotland this summer My son and I were very excited to find this book. It is a perfect Scotland memento featuring just about all the 'wildlife' you might expect: seal, Scottie dog, puffin, the Loch Ness monster...even a haggis. My son also enjoyed saying 'wee' for small while we were away so this really is perfect. It is a joy to read and the illustrations are great too - quite different from the other two versions - and very clever (more like a household plumbing system diagram!). What a brilliant book!

Lovely and funny book - great as a baby gift

This is a wonderful retelling of the traditional tale of the old woman who swallowed a fly. Now set in Scotland, the Wee Lassie of the title has the misfortune to swallow a midgie, so teeny and squidgie. She then manages to down a whole host of Scottish creatures in her efforts to sort out said midgie. A twist in the ending makes it a very different result when compared to the demise of the old woman of the original tale - inspired! The text fits the rhythm and form of the original tale perfectly - I found myself singing it in my head as I read through the story. The pictures are great - from the very mischievous and hungry-looking Wee Lassie to the beautifully created, almost Escher-like house on every other page, that depicts the journey of each creature through the Lassie's innards, becoming more and more overcrowded as the story unfolds. I highly recommend this book for anyone with young children, or who is simply young at heart themselves!

Entertaining and good fun for kids.

Grandkids love the story.

Children and adults alike will adore this beautiful book. It's a cleverly imaginative Scottish take on that old favourite The Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, but it's much more than that. Rebecca Colby’s playful, rhythmic language – complete with fun tongue twisters interspersed with bang-up-to-date language - is an absolute delight and is perfect for reading aloud. Add to this Kate McLelland’s wonderful illustrations and you have a modern classic. Highly recommended!

Our family loves this book. My daughter loves it being read to her and often chooses it above other books. Her dad also enjoys reading it for the Scottish references (his accent definitely makes it sound better)! It’s really colourful and attractive - a funny step up from the old lady who swallowed a fly.

This is a very cute Scottish book. 2 year old loves it, as do the adults. Planning to gift it to a 4 year old too. Toddler enjoys filling in the sentences: "... swallowed a?" "Cow!" and looking at the pictures. Highly recommended.

I bought this for my great niece. Not only does she love it but all the adults liked it too!!

Vous aimez l'écosse , vous détestez ces petits insectes qui peuvent gâcher votre soirée ? Et bien voilà, un livre qui vous amusera ! Sous forme de comptine, une petite fille avale un de ces petits insectes qui lui même est avalé par.... La comptine est une suite de mots qui coulent, rebondissent et repartent dans une ronde effrénée. Chaque illustration propose de suivre le parcours de l'insecte... un vrai labyrinthe d'aventures et de rencontres. Votre enfants pourra s'amuser des heures, seul à faire vivre des aventures sans fin à cette petite bête... Un bel achat ! :)

I've been ordering kids' books written in Scots to help me learn the language. (I read them along with an English/Scots dictionary.) This book was fun. There is also a Scots language version of the first Harry Potter book that I'm reading; however, the reading level is quite a bit higher than this book, which I'm guessing is written at about a first-grade level.

I bought this book for my grandchildren. They all know the rhyme “There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly”, and as their grandfather is part Scottish, I thought this book might be a good way to share their Scottish heritage with them. The book didn’t disappoint. The wee lassie swallows all kinds of Scottish animals and birds, and unlike the old lady, the wee lassie gets a happy ending. It’s a fun read and the illustrations are beautiful. I liked how the wee lassie’s stomach was made to look like a house as well—such a clever idea. While the book doesn’t set out to teach Scottish vocabulary, my grandchildren now know what lassies, midgies, and lochs are, and it has definitely made them curious about Scotland. I’d recommend it for most children from 3-7 years, regardless of whether or not they have an interest in Scotland.

Such fun!