Simms Taback (1932–2011)

Author of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

44+ Works 7,559 Members 446 Reviews 3 Favorited

About the Author

Simms Taback was born on February 13, 1932 in New York City. Before serving two years in the Army, he graduated from Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in 1953. He worked as an art director at CBS Records and The New York Times and as an advertising art director at William Douglas show more McAdams. He designed and illustrated the first McDonald's Happy Meal box in the 1970s. During his lifetime, he was the illustrator and occasional author of about 50 children's books including There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, Joseph Had a Little Overcoat, which won the Caldecott Medal in 2000, and Postcards from Camp. He died of pancreatic cancer on December 25, 2011 at the age of 79. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: S Tayback, Simms Tabac, Sims Taback, Simms Taback, Simms Taback, simms Yaback, Tabacle Simms, סימס טבק, Симмс Табак, Simms (ILT) Simms/ Taback Taback

Image credit: mcgrawhill.com

Works by Simms Taback

Popular Recent

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (1997) 2,943 copies, 182 reviews

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (1977) 2,718 copies, 198 reviews

This Is the House That Jack Built (2002) 949 copies, 21 reviews

Kibitzers and Fools (2005) 253 copies, 13 reviews

I Miss You Every Day (2007) 129 copies, 10 reviews

Postcards from Camp (2011) 99 copies, 3 reviews

Where is My Baby? (1994) — Illustrator — 61 copies, 2 reviews

Simms Taback's City Animals (2009) 51 copies, 4 reviews

Simms Taback's Safari Animals (2008) 39 copies

Simms Taback's Dinosaurs (2012) 29 copies

Simms Taback's Farm Animals (Giant Fold-Out Books) (2011) 26 copies, 1 review

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly... and More Stories That Sing (2004) 25 copies, 1 review

Wiggle Like an Octopus! (2011) — Illustrator — 23 copies, 2 reviews

More Science Activities from the Smithsonian (1988) 22 copies

Zoo Parade! (1990) — Illustrator — 21 copies

Simms Taback's Big Book of Words (2004) 20 copies, 3 reviews

Peek-A-Boo Who? (2006) 19 copies

Noisy Forest! (2004) — Illustrator — 14 copies

Swing Like A Monkey (2011) 13 copies, 1 review

Quack Like a Duck! (2011) 12 copies, 1 review

On Our Way to the Water!/Includes Animal Stickers (1985) — Illustrator — 12 copies

Where is My Friend? (A Hide and Peek Book) (2006) 11 copies, 1 review

Animals (2009) 8 copies

Mommies and Babies (2010) 7 copies

Colors (2009) 7 copies

Do You Have a Tail? (2007) 7 copies, 1 review

Zoom (2010) 6 copies

Where is My House? (2005) 6 copies

1, 2, 3 (2009) 5 copies

Animal Play: A Touch-and-Feel Cloth Book (2003) — Illustrator — 4 copies, 2 reviews

Animais da Cidade (2018) 3 copies

Listomania (2012) 3 copies

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat (Korean Edition) 요셉의 작고 낡은 오버코트가(취학전 그림책 1003) (2000) 2 copies

Can You Smile? (2007) 2 copies

Dinossauros (2017) 1 copy

Dinosaurs by Taback, Simms [Hardcover] 1 copy

Simms Taback Stories, See Comments 1 copy

PLAYTHINGS (1986) 1 copy

Joseph Had a Little Overcoate 1 copy

Book & Props Kit: There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly 1 copy

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat - DVD 1 copy

Count: 4,5,6 (2010) 1 copy

Bath Party (Duck) (2009) 1 copy

where is my family? a hide and peek game book 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Too Much Noise (1967) — Illustrator, some editions — 812 copies, 22 reviews

Two Little Witches: A Halloween Counting Story (1996) — Illustrator — 325 copies, 4 reviews

When I First Came to This Land (1998) — Illustrator — 311 copies, 2 reviews

Jason's Bus Ride (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) (1987) — Illustrator — 158 copies, 1 review

Monday-to-Friday Cookbook (1991) — Illustrator — 137 copies, 1 review

Who Said Moo? (1996) — Illustrator — 109 copies, 2 reviews

Snakey Riddles (1990) — Illustrator — 76 copies, 1 review

Buggy Riddles (1986) — Illustrator — 63 copies, 2 reviews

Euphonia and the Flood (1976) — Illustrator — 61 copies, 2 reviews

Beach Party! (2005) — Illustrator — 34 copies, 3 reviews

Noisy Barn! (1990) — Illustrator — 29 copies, 2 reviews

Laughing Together: Giggles and Grins from Around the Globe (1977) — Illustrator — 27 copies

On Our Way to the Barn (1985) 10 copies

Please share that peanut!: A preposterous pageant in fourteen acts, concerned with the exquisite joys and extraordinary… (1965) — Illustrator — 8 copies

Games, puzzles, and toys step-by-step science activity projects from the Smithsonian Institution (1993) — Illustrator — 4 copies, 1 review

Tagged

animals (231) bugs (43) Caldecott (311) Caldecott Honor (79) Caldecott Medal (92) children (76) children's (131) children's literature (49) clothes (64) clothing (113) coats (47) collection:Fiction (130) conservation (39) creativity (41) fantasy (45) fiction (261) fly (64) folklore (111) folktale (116) folktales (65) hardcover (160) humor (123) insects (50) Jewish (128) multicultural (72) music (56) nursery rhymes (68) old lady (65) picture book (541) poetry (99) recycling (127) repetition (167) rhyme (103) rhymes (42) rhyming (179) sequencing (53) shelf:Fiction (130) silly (49) song (95) songs (62)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1932-02-13
Date of death: 2011-12-25
Gender: male
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: The Bronx, New York, USA
Place of death: Ventura, California, USA
Places of residence: New York, New York, USA
Ventura, California, USA
Willows, New York, USA
Florida, USA
Woodstock, New York, USA
Education: Cooper Union (1953)
Occupations: illustrator
author
graphic artist
Relationships: Ruffins, Reynold (partner)
Organizations: Illustrators Guild (co-founder)
Society of Illustrators
Graphic Artists Guild (National President)
Awards and honors: Caldecott Medal

Members

Reviews

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

Independent Reading Level: Grades K-1
Awards: 1998 Randolph Caldecott Honor Medal and New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book award

Flagged

djlackey | 181 other reviews | Apr 28, 2024 |

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback

This is a cool book about reusing object. This would be fun to use in a homec class or just to teach kids about reusing things. This is a book about an old man who reuses his coat until its all gone.

Flagged

eweeks22 | 197 other reviews | Apr 16, 2024 |

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Simms Taback

I think this book is for intermediate and primary students. It is a poetry book about an old lady who is swallowing animals in the hopes that they will swallow the animal she ate before. then she dies after eating a horse.

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Kschweppe | 181 other reviews | Apr 16, 2024 |