There was an old lady who swallowed a fly

Pam Adams (1919–2010) was a British children’s book author, illustrator, and graphic designer best known for her innovative interactive picture books published by Child’s Play. Born in Swindon, Wiltshire, she studied at Swindon Art College and the Central School of Art in London, later working for many years as a graphic designer in advertising before returning to Swindon in the 1970s and collaborating with Michael Twinn at the then-new children’s publisher Child’s Play.

Her first children’s book, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly (1972), became and remains a bestseller for Child’s Play and helped establish the publisher’s signature “Classic Books with Holes” format. Adams went on to write and/or illustrate numerous titles in this series, including Old Macdonald Had a Farm (Classic Books with Holes), as well as works such as Noah’s Ark, the Mrs Honey series, and other picture books noted for their bold artwork, humour, and interactive design. She worked with Child’s Play for nearly forty years, illustrating her final book in 2006, and died in 2010 at the age of 91.