What would YOU do if you swallowed a fly?

Can a fly, spider, bird, cat, dog, cow, and horse all really be swallowed by one little old lady? There was an old lady who swallowed a fly is a poetry book describing an old lady who has an appetite that cannot seemed to be fulfilled. Page by page the Old Lady begins to increase her size by swallowing all the unnecessary bugs and animals. She first begins with swallowing a fly, which is then followed by a spider that is to catch the fly, and then continues through the book until she swallows a horse to catch the cow, which caught the dog, which caught the cat, which caught the bird, which caught the spider, just to catch the tiny fly! Repetition is a strong element that can be found while reading this poem. The saying; “There once was an Old Lady who swallowed a……” is repeated page by page throughout the book. Her reasoning for swallowing each bug or animal is repeated finishing with; “I don’t know why she swallowed the fly.” The second element of poetry found in this book is rhyme. “How absurd! She swallowed a bird.” Different rhyming words are found all through the book. This book is a great example of a poetry book that can be used for young children because it gives examples of two of the most basic elements of poetry. The book depicts her story through the die-cuts showing each bug and animal inside of her with vivid illustrations, making it even more interesting for readers. You will find that while reading this poetry book, the pictures depict different eye-popping images relating to what the Old Lady has swallowed. For example when the Old Lady swallowed the cat there is a newspaper article in the corner of the page saying “Cat has eight lives left.” These rollicking images and illustrations keep the students engaged in while enjoying the humor found in the illustrations.  Overall we found this book to be fun and enjoyable to read for children of all ages. The poetry elements and illustrations correlate well with the story line of the Old Lady. After reading this book students may begin to think about what they would do if they swallowed a bug or animal. Now it’s time for you to think further. What would YOU do if you swallowed a fly, and didn't know why?

I can remember being read this poem when I was a child, however I like the way this book gives a fresh look on the illustrations to the classic poem. The humor found in the pictures is entertaining to all ages and will have them laughing while reading. 

– Mallory

This poetry book is a book that I can remember as a child. My favorite part of the book was being able to predict and interact with the class. The book follows a beat pattern that students can easily pick up on and enjoy. 

-Dianne