There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!

Lucille Colandro
Jared Lee, illustrator

Review by Molly

Lucille Colandro and Jared Lee’s - There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! is getting a real work out during October in Osage County First Grade.  Another in the growing collection of Old Lady works from this talented duo There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat brings smiles, giggles and Little Singer enthusiasm as Halloween approaches.  With each reading Little Reader enthusiasm increases; crooning our way from page to page while enjoying this entertaining Halloween anecdote is a fun activity at the end of a busy day of learning. 

I like the collective yarns offering Little Learners occasion for reasoning the inevitability for why the old lady is downing an assortment of diverse items.  I must admit, Osage County First Grade is beginning to marvel if is there anything this lady will not swallow?  This Time her menu embraces a bat, a cat, an owl, , a ghost, a goblin, a group of bones, and even a wizard wearing a wizardy hat  Filled with a cadenced tempo and engaging representations, this lively version of a long-established poem/song presents huge appeal for Little Learners.

From the cover showing a big eyed bat peering into the open mouth of the old lady and continuing as she swallows that bat, and each of the others; Osage County First Grade continue to be enthralled.   During the month of October Osage County First Grade enjoy taking There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat! for individual reading during daily DEAR reading activity.  As with others of the series; using the content for language activities having a seasonal or holiday theme serves to augment awareness and participation as Little Learners listen for and then write nouns and verbs, and adjectives.

This Halloween themed version of a classic is patterned on the archetypal little old lady tales is certain to captivate and keep all spirited Osage County First Grade readers amused as they read and sing their way from cover to cover.