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The Little Old Man Who Could Not Read
An old toymaker never wanted to learn to read until his wife went away on a visit and he had to do the grocery shopping by himself.
30 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 7, 2020
A little old toy maker has made it this far in life without knowing how to read, and he sees no reason to learn . . . until his wife goes away, and he must shop for his own dinner. Imagine his dismay when he discovers that the box he thought contained spaghetti noodles is instead - waxed paper!
It's a cute story that proves you're never too old to learn a new trick.
With charming illustrations by Seymour Fleishman.
It's a cute story that proves you're never too old to learn a new trick.
With charming illustrations by Seymour Fleishman.
April 21, 2022
Such an incredibly fun and clever story!
A little old man refuses to learn to read. When his wife goes away on a short trip and he has to go grocery shopping, he’s in for some startling surprises; and so are you!
You and your kiddos will love this! And any struggling readers will see how beneficial reading is.
Ages: 3 - 8
A little old man refuses to learn to read. When his wife goes away on a short trip and he has to go grocery shopping, he’s in for some startling surprises; and so are you!
You and your kiddos will love this! And any struggling readers will see how beneficial reading is.
Ages: 3 - 8
March 7, 2012
When my younger daughter was four years old, she told me she thought she'd probably be "one of those grown-ups who can't read". I explained that that wasn't a good idea, but she was a determined little thing. She eventually changed her mind, thank goodness, and began devouring books daily. But it was a little iffy for a while. ;) She would identify with the little man in this book.
This little old man doesn't know how to read. He doesn't want to know. He doesn't think he needs it. After all, he has a sweet wife to shop for him, cook meals for him, and take care of him, and he doesn't need to read to create his handcrafted wooden toys. When his wife goes on a trip, she gives him instructions on what to buy at the grocery store. The little old man remembers her list, and as he pushes his buggy up and down the grocery aisles he chooses items with packaging that looks like the food his wife buys.
Back at home, the hungry man opens the can he bought for a soup dinner. It's soup all right, but it's onion soup, and he hates onions of all kinds. The "spaghetti" box turns out to be even worse--it's wax paper. The rest of his grocery purchases are just as disappointing. By the time his wife comes home the next evening he has forced himself to eat the onion soup he hates and drink a beverage he hates, too. And he's ready to learn to read for himself!
This is a fun little book to read to kids who are just learning to read. They'll appreciate the little man's frustrations and get some laughs out of his misfortune. After reading this book, start a group discussion on what other things it would be hard to do without reading.
This little old man doesn't know how to read. He doesn't want to know. He doesn't think he needs it. After all, he has a sweet wife to shop for him, cook meals for him, and take care of him, and he doesn't need to read to create his handcrafted wooden toys. When his wife goes on a trip, she gives him instructions on what to buy at the grocery store. The little old man remembers her list, and as he pushes his buggy up and down the grocery aisles he chooses items with packaging that looks like the food his wife buys.
Back at home, the hungry man opens the can he bought for a soup dinner. It's soup all right, but it's onion soup, and he hates onions of all kinds. The "spaghetti" box turns out to be even worse--it's wax paper. The rest of his grocery purchases are just as disappointing. By the time his wife comes home the next evening he has forced himself to eat the onion soup he hates and drink a beverage he hates, too. And he's ready to learn to read for himself!
This is a fun little book to read to kids who are just learning to read. They'll appreciate the little man's frustrations and get some laughs out of his misfortune. After reading this book, start a group discussion on what other things it would be hard to do without reading.
July 17, 2008
nice to address the topic-- but this makes it look like illiteracy was simply a choice and you can reverse it in a day's lesson
March 18, 2018
Funny but in a dated way.
January 10, 2025
This was one of those books I could “read” before I knew how the read, having had my mother read it to me daily until I had it memorized. 4+ decades later the worn book still lives on one of my bookshelves, and yesterday my son took it to school to read to his 4th grade class…. And while I always thought of it as a book for a slightly younger audience, it was received very well. I suppose the message that you’re never too old to learn a new skill, or the reminder that we’ve all been in that situation of having to learn something new, experiencing denial or apprehension, needing to ask for help….. is human.
January 27, 2026
For a college class
The “Little Old Man” exemplifies a man whose activity, building beautiful toys, defines who he is. This is counter to society’s convention of the job defining the male.
His measure of success, of self, is the joy his toys brings to children, not the riches and status of a job.
The “Little Old Man” exemplifies a man whose activity, building beautiful toys, defines who he is. This is counter to society’s convention of the job defining the male.
His measure of success, of self, is the joy his toys brings to children, not the riches and status of a job.
September 29, 2019
My sister pulled out a box of books from when we were little and this was in it! My mom gave it to me in 1978! I love this book and remember it fondly. I love the softly colored illustrations.
Moral of the story: If you can’t read you have to eat onion soup and waxed paper!
Moral of the story: If you can’t read you have to eat onion soup and waxed paper!
July 30, 2017
BookTubeAThon Day 6 with one of my favorite children's books. I read it outside because it's hot in the south and it had to be short.
April 16, 2019
Knowing how to read is very important.
June 24, 2019
Cute and fun free book from the library...krb 6/23/19
November 19, 2020
My favorite book as a kid!
Read
April 18, 2021I love this book as it conveys an important message, it is never too old to learn.
October 19, 2021
A childhood favorite that I get to read to my kids. 😍😍😍
July 1, 2022
This is so funny and cute! It made me chuckle.
November 22, 2022
Haha! Such a great book. 😊
November 14, 2023
Read it to my younger siblings.
A book that I love to use with my young non-readers.
Not being able to read can be an issue at any age.
A book that I love to use with my young non-readers.
Not being able to read can be an issue at any age.
December 11, 2024
This!! One of my favourite childhood books. My daughter even found me a newer edition for my birthday one year as she knew how special this was to me xx
January 3, 2025
A family favorite! The title says it all. The little old man suffers for his inability to read when his wife goes on a visit in a most comedic way.
March 24, 2017
Such an adorable and truthful book. I can not wait to have children so I can add this to their book collection.
August 26, 2018
The Little Old Man Who Could Not Read / written by Irma Simonton Black; pictures by Seymour Flesihman -- Chicago : Albert Whitman & Company, c1968, 1977. (32 pages) RANGE 3 -- PICTURE BOOK
SUMMARY: A little old man who could not read is left at home overnight to fend for himself. Because he can't read he is unable to cook, or shop, or read his mail by himself. His bad experiences shows him that he needs help to make it in the world on his own.
REVIEW: This is one of the stories that I read (or had read to me) as a child. I found a used library copy in a booksale about thirty years ago and bought it and have kept it as one of my cherished treasures. The thought of not being able to read is a scary one -- but is a reality even today. The reader can feel sympathy with the little old man as he is trying to eat spaghetti and ends up with a box of waxed paper instead.
FORMAT: The pages have two in black and white and then two in color throughout the book.
FURTHER FUN: 1) have kids make simple signs to label objects in the room or food items in the kitchen; 2) have kids match similar objects that might be mistaken for each other if one couldn't read the label; 3) talk about international symbols, signs, logos, that you know without reading
NOTE: There is another title by this author and illustrator called THE LITTLE OLD MAN WHO COOKED AND CLEANED
SUMMARY: A little old man who could not read is left at home overnight to fend for himself. Because he can't read he is unable to cook, or shop, or read his mail by himself. His bad experiences shows him that he needs help to make it in the world on his own.
REVIEW: This is one of the stories that I read (or had read to me) as a child. I found a used library copy in a booksale about thirty years ago and bought it and have kept it as one of my cherished treasures. The thought of not being able to read is a scary one -- but is a reality even today. The reader can feel sympathy with the little old man as he is trying to eat spaghetti and ends up with a box of waxed paper instead.
FORMAT: The pages have two in black and white and then two in color throughout the book.
FURTHER FUN: 1) have kids make simple signs to label objects in the room or food items in the kitchen; 2) have kids match similar objects that might be mistaken for each other if one couldn't read the label; 3) talk about international symbols, signs, logos, that you know without reading
NOTE: There is another title by this author and illustrator called THE LITTLE OLD MAN WHO COOKED AND CLEANED
October 10, 2008
One of my favorites from childhood.
Its about a little old man who makes toys and cannot read. Children that play with his toys write him letters, but he cannot read them.
Usually his wife buys the groceries, but she goes on a trip. While she's gone he has to get groceries. She asks him to get a can of soup, a big can of spaghetti sauce, spaghetti, sugar, milk and oatmeal. Since he can't read, he buys groceries by looking at the containers and the pictures.
He ends up with onion soup (he doesn't like onions), wax paper instead of spaghetti, coffee instead of spaghetti sauce, salt instead of oatmeal, soap instead of sugar, and buttermilk (he doesn't like buttermilk) instead of milk.
By the time his wife gets back he's really hungry...hungry enough to learn to read.
My favorite part was when he thought he was going to make spaghetti and it turns out to be wax paper!
And he can finally read the letters the children sent him.
Its about a little old man who makes toys and cannot read. Children that play with his toys write him letters, but he cannot read them.
Usually his wife buys the groceries, but she goes on a trip. While she's gone he has to get groceries. She asks him to get a can of soup, a big can of spaghetti sauce, spaghetti, sugar, milk and oatmeal. Since he can't read, he buys groceries by looking at the containers and the pictures.
He ends up with onion soup (he doesn't like onions), wax paper instead of spaghetti, coffee instead of spaghetti sauce, salt instead of oatmeal, soap instead of sugar, and buttermilk (he doesn't like buttermilk) instead of milk.
By the time his wife gets back he's really hungry...hungry enough to learn to read.
My favorite part was when he thought he was going to make spaghetti and it turns out to be wax paper!
And he can finally read the letters the children sent him.
February 9, 2015
I love, love, love this book!
I hope that it will inspire kids to want to read. In the story, the protagonist had no interest in reading until he was left along to his own devices to disastrous results.
The little old man in the story was essentially dependent on his wife regarding the groceries (and most likely many other aspects of life as well). When she had to leave for a few days, he went shopping and failed to buy any meals with sustenance. He ended up as the little old man who was super hungry. If I were him I would learn to read too because I know how cranky I get when I am hungry. Once he finally did learn to read he found that it was beneficial not just with buying the right food, but to read letters from the little girls and boys who loved the toys he made for a living.
I hope that it will inspire kids to want to read. In the story, the protagonist had no interest in reading until he was left along to his own devices to disastrous results.
The little old man in the story was essentially dependent on his wife regarding the groceries (and most likely many other aspects of life as well). When she had to leave for a few days, he went shopping and failed to buy any meals with sustenance. He ended up as the little old man who was super hungry. If I were him I would learn to read too because I know how cranky I get when I am hungry. Once he finally did learn to read he found that it was beneficial not just with buying the right food, but to read letters from the little girls and boys who loved the toys he made for a living.
August 1, 2010
One of my favorites from childhood. This book is rare/out of print and I own two copies. One is thrashed and put back together with library tape (that's the one I let the children read) and one I scored on Ebay in a box of old books for 5.00! A copy of this book is worth around 75-100 dollars now. Just FYI. Adds nothing to my love for it. Mine aren't for sale. I just wanted you readers to know that.
July 12, 2016
This was my favorite book as a child. This book is about a little old man who does not know how to read. His wife goes out of town, so he is left with going to the grocery store by himself. He chooses items he believes are correct, but turn out to be the opposite of what he needed. I would use this book in my classroom to explain the importance of being able to read and show how it affects your life even when you are older.
June 26, 2014
This was my favorite book from childhood.
The little old man's wife goes out of town and he is left to fend for himself at the grocery store. Since he cannot read, he chooses items he believes are correct, but none of them contain the items that he intended to buy.
This is exactly how I felt going to a supermarket for the first time in Japan. I was unable to identify even the most basic items.
The little old man's wife goes out of town and he is left to fend for himself at the grocery store. Since he cannot read, he chooses items he believes are correct, but none of them contain the items that he intended to buy.
This is exactly how I felt going to a supermarket for the first time in Japan. I was unable to identify even the most basic items.
April 16, 2008
I found this old book at a garage sale. My kids just love it. The little old man makes a few "big" mistakes, because he doesn't know how to read. I read it to my daughters kindergarten class and they really enjoyed it as well. It emphasizes the importance of learning how to read.
September 9, 2010
One of my favorites when I was young and now reading to my son. It's just so funny when you're a kid to think that you're getting a certain thing and then find out it's something totally different! And who can't love it when the little old man says "Fiddle sticks and fish fur!"
December 1, 2011
This was one of my favorite books. My oldest sister and mom read this to me a lot. My heart would break for the old man who could not read and was struggling to make the soup his wife left him a recipe for.
July 22, 2012
This was my favorite book as a kid. My mom bought me a copy of it a few years ago, but I am so afraid of it getting ruined that I won't take it out of the plastic. (In my defense, it is an older paperback copy). My grandpa used to read it to us when we were at my aunts house. Such a cute story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews