Lucille Colandro

The first part of the book, riffing on the traditional nursery rhyme about the old lady who swallows a fly, is so dull it lulls you into stop paying attention so it can pull off an almost-clever twist ending. Having finished the book, I then remembered it did the same thing to me twenty years ago when I first and last read it.

Note to self: read again in twenty years to be surprised again.

Side note: I'm am stunned to see that this is part of a series of twenty-three (23 !!?!?!?!!) books at show more this point. show less

The Old Scientist swallowed a dinosaur, a fern, a rock, a pick, a dustpan, a sifting screen, a pen, and a magnifying glass. I wonder why she swallowed all those things? What will she do after she swallows them?

Young readers discover the world of the dinosaurs as well as the process of exploring to learn about paleontology and the past in this uproarious take on “There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.”

The clever rhyming text introduces young readers to the tools scientists use to show more find and study fossils and, at the same time, keeps the funny story moving along toward the end of the book where the young reader will find a description and an explanation for each of the scientist’s tools. In addition, a fun hunt-and-find puzzle will take the young reader back through the pages of this hilarious story.

Adults may disagree with the targeted age group for this book: ages baby through three years, grade level two [years] through preschool. This makes little or no sense; primary grade readers, ages five through eight, grades kindergarten through third, are more likely to recognize the humor in the text, to understand the fossil hunting aspect of the story, and to share an interest in dinosaurs.

Highly recommended, especially for dinosaur aficionados. show less

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly! is a silly, energetic story told by Lucille Colandro’s playful storytelling and Jared Lee’s humorous, expressive illustrations. Kids love the escalating absurdity as the old lady swallows bigger and stranger animals, and the rhythmic repetition makes it perfect for read‑alouds. Lee’s cartoon‑style art adds extra laughs, turning each page into a moment of anticipation. This kind of book is enjoyed by younger children, but I would likely show more choose a book of higher literary quality for a classroom. show less

My son is in 1st grade and found the book series in Kindergarten. He likes the repetition since he was learning to read. I had a choice of five books and he chose this one first since he was familiar with it. I like these books because it has rhyming words and great discussion pieces, to ask could we really swallow these things? Or why would she be swallowing this next? Great book for working on sequencing. This book is a great addition to any teacher's collection, one that students will show more always enjoy reading again and again. show less