There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

Written By: Lucille Colandro

Illustrated By: Jared Lee

Scholastic Inc., 2010

30 pages

Picture Book 

     I decided to pick this book, because I had read a book by this author last semester and really liked it.  I thought it was super cute.  It is about an old lady who keeps swallowing certain items that pertain to fall.  The first item she swallows is some leaves.  Next, she swallows a shirt; then she swallows a pumpkin, a pole, a pair of pants, and some rope.  Every time she intakes an item, a reason is gradually given for why she swallowed it; For example, she swallows the shirt after the leaves, in order to fill it will the leaves.  These explanations are followed by the repeating line, “Perhaps she’ll sneeze!”  These reasons are also given in an order that build up to the ending.  The last item she swallows is some hay.  After she intakes the hay, she finally sneezes and all of the items come back up in the form of a scarecrow! 

     The illustrations in this book are intricately sketched by the artist.  Warm colors are used throughout this book.  The colors are light, but vibrant.  There is a drawing for each item the old lady swallows; therefore, each scene is easily depicted by the reader.   Another aspect that makes the book easy to understand is the way the illustrator draws the old lady.  She makes her mouth really big to emphasize that she is actually ingesting these items.  The different pieces that the lady swallows are also portrayed as the scarecrow is being built.  For example, the artist sketches a page that illustrates how the pole holds up the pumpkin, the pumpkin wears the shirt, and the shirt is filled with the leaves.  I think it is important to have pictures like these, because it helps students comprehend the book. 

     I would definitely use this book to teach a reading lesson on the sequence of events in stories and have the students tell me the order afterwards.  This would allow tell me how much they comprehending.  I would also make a visual aid of the old lady and show her eating all of the different pieces throughout the book.   I did this in my previous practicum with another one of these stories; it worked really well.  I could also use this book to do a short weather lesson on the fall season at the beginning of the year.  Another lesson that could be made from this story is one on rhyming.  I feel like the age group for this book would work best for either kindergarten or first grade.