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38th out of 127 books
—
74 voters
Old Black Fly
Nothing drives a family crazy faster than an old black fly on a hot summer day, especially when the family's a little crazy already. And this fly is as bad as they come. He knows every low-down trick in the book--and won't rest until he's gone through them all.
He ate on the crust
of the Apple pie.
He bothered the Baby
and made her cry.
Shoo fly!
Shoo fly!
Shooo.
He ate on the crust
of the Apple pie.
He bothered the Baby
and made her cry.
Shoo fly!
Shoo fly!
Shooo.
Big Book, 32 pages
Published
April 15th 1995
by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
(first published 1992)
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This ABC book is an absolutely hilarious tale of a flies daily activities in bugging a family. From messing with the dog to eating a cake, this book does not miss a step of a flies short life. Each page introduces the next letter of the alphabet in such a way that it will have the young reader wanting to see what the fly gets into next.
The illustrations are very interesting...in a good way. When one pictures a fly, they think of this quickly buzzing around insect that makes a lot of noise and th...more
The illustrations are very interesting...in a good way. When one pictures a fly, they think of this quickly buzzing around insect that makes a lot of noise and th...more
This is an ADORABLE ABC book. It talks about the journey of a naughty, bad, old black fly and the trouble he causes in a household, from A to his buzzing zzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz. I think that this is an exemplary ABC book because it tells a story while using examples through the alphabet, rather than saying "A is for Apple" "B is for Bear" For most the letters in fact, it uses alliteration, and gives more than one example for the letter that they are talking about.
For example: "He coughed on th...more
For example: "He coughed on th...more
“Old Black Fly” is a funny little tale done in poetry that uses rhyme and the alphabet. The book is about a how a fly’s day is spent and everything he lands on and tastes. The book is cleverly written with a rhyme shared between two pages. I love the illustrations in this book! Jim Alylesworth highlights each letter from the alphabet he uses directly in a word on each page. The illustrations are very unique showing the fly’s trail in a spatter form. Strangely, I felt sticky after reading this bo...more
“Old Black Fly”- written by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by Stephen Gammell, is a children’s ABC rhyming book that takes readers on the adventures of the pesky, old black fly. The fly becomes an annoyance to the house as he “coughs on the cookies” and “drives the dog nearly out of wits.” In addition, Alyesworth constantly states, “Sho fly! Shoo fly! Shoo” on every other page- making it for a great read aloud to children who could help tell the story by chiming in. The illustrations throughout...more
This book is hilarious. This book is about the daily life of a fly. This fly is very naughty and bad fly and bugs this poor family all day. The fly becomes a pest as he "coughs on the cookies" and "drives the dog nearly out of wits". This book goes through the alphabet, starting with A and talks about all the things the fly does. I think this book is better then every other ABC book, it uses rhyming which keeps the story fun and exciting. The illustrations are brilliant and fun. They are so colo...more
I think the most wonderful part of this book (in response to a 2 star review) is that, after reading it, you feel like there are "fly germs everywhere!" When we read this aloud in my preschool class, the kids loved pointing out the yucky stuff on every page and when I banged the book shut to "squash" the fly and quietly opened up the book, hysterical giggles abounded. This book is great for eliciting student participation (repetition in "Shoo fly...") and for developing inference abilities at a...more
Who knew this book would introduce the letters of the alphabet in everything the fly touches. This fly seems to nibble on and upset everyone and thing in its path. The pictures are so colorful and pretty to look at. The fly is finally put to rest so that he cant bother anyone else anymore. Repetitive verses makes this book a good beginners book. I would recommend this book to children 4-7 years old.
For a learning activity, I would read the book and have the children come up with different thing...more
For a learning activity, I would read the book and have the children come up with different thing...more
This book, written by Jim Aylesworth, is a wonderfully creative and fresh take to a traditional ABC book. The alphabet is intertwined through a funny story written in rhyme form about a pesky fly in a family's home, who continues to be a nuisance to everyone.
This would be best utilized with older beginning readers, as it is a more difficult ABC book, which requires the reader to follow a more difficult and detailed story line. The pictures are engaging and interesting, and work well to draw the...more
This would be best utilized with older beginning readers, as it is a more difficult ABC book, which requires the reader to follow a more difficult and detailed story line. The pictures are engaging and interesting, and work well to draw the...more
A dirty black fly goes through the alphabet landing on different objects that begin with each letter. Readers and listeners alike can relate to the refrain to “shoo fly, shoo fly, shooo!” that continues through the book and this will generate a substantial amount of enthusiasm as everyone joins in. The illustrations by Stephen Gammell are colorful and funny, if a little creepy at times. It is amazing how the splat-like shapes really make the hand want to swat at the fly as he makes his way throu...more
I was definitely not a fan of the pictures--just a little too much on the gross side for me. It looks like a splatter-paint method for creation. Always fun to do. I'm sure it finds its audience with plenty of children. Just not me. Especially with all of the mean and ugly looking characteristics of the humans in the story. I guess the biggest surprise to me was that it was an Alphabet book. And the way the text is written, it must have been intended as a song, or at least a chant. And I certainl...more
Aylesworth, Jim. (1992). Old Black Fly. New York: Henry Holt.
Category: ABC book, predictable, participation, picture book
Old black fly is buzzin' around, "and he's had a very busy bad day." This crazy flies through the alphabet creating mayhem wherever he goes. He is greeted on every page with the refrain, "Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shoo." A funny, predictable ending and a hilarious epitaph on the last page. Stephen Gammell's spatter paint illustrations and remarkably realistic fly emphasize the chaos...more
Category: ABC book, predictable, participation, picture book
Old black fly is buzzin' around, "and he's had a very busy bad day." This crazy flies through the alphabet creating mayhem wherever he goes. He is greeted on every page with the refrain, "Shoo fly! Shoo fly! Shoo." A funny, predictable ending and a hilarious epitaph on the last page. Stephen Gammell's spatter paint illustrations and remarkably realistic fly emphasize the chaos...more
ABC Book
Jim Aylesworth's "Old Black Fly" is a rhyming alphabet book about a day in the life of a fly. Throughout the story, the fly "ate on the crust of the Apple pie" "lit on the List for the grocery store" and snoozed on the Quilt on Gramma's bed". After the double page spread that simply says "SWAT!" the old black fly is done causing trouble.
I like the illustrations for their brightness and uniqueness, and I thought the way that the people and the fly in the book looked ugly and disfigured wo...more
Jim Aylesworth's "Old Black Fly" is a rhyming alphabet book about a day in the life of a fly. Throughout the story, the fly "ate on the crust of the Apple pie" "lit on the List for the grocery store" and snoozed on the Quilt on Gramma's bed". After the double page spread that simply says "SWAT!" the old black fly is done causing trouble.
I like the illustrations for their brightness and uniqueness, and I thought the way that the people and the fly in the book looked ugly and disfigured wo...more
This book is an alphabet book that shows the items that a pesky housefly flew and landed on in this one house. This is an excellent way to put humor into helping kids learn the alphabet. I did not so much care for the illustrations, they really did not catch my eye. But if one wanted to use this book to talk about other things that flies land on or even use this book in an insect unit that could work. This is a definite K-1 book, but it can be a little gross, so you would want to introduce the b...more
This book follows a old black fly around as he explores and has fun going through different letters in the alphabet.
This book would be good from preschoolers or two year olds because it has very few words on the page. It would also be good for beginner readers because the words are easy to read and simple words.
The illustrations are very colorful. They add to the story but some of them are hard to distinguish what they are, like the apple pie. They look like they are painted because of the drips...more
This book would be good from preschoolers or two year olds because it has very few words on the page. It would also be good for beginner readers because the words are easy to read and simple words.
The illustrations are very colorful. They add to the story but some of them are hard to distinguish what they are, like the apple pie. They look like they are painted because of the drips...more
Sep 11, 2012
Nancy Mosqueda
added it
Jim Alesworth created an interesting alphabet book, in which each page contains a bright bolded letter intertwined amongst the story. The illustrations depict the fly's routine for that day and we can see where the fly has been due to the bright and colorful splashes that surround it while it flies around pestering the family. Unfortunately for the fly however, at the end of the story it is swat down. As author Aylesworth sais, "Old black fly's done buzzin' around, buzzin'around, buzzin' around....more
Ok, I know sometimes people shy away from this book because they 'don't like' the illustrations. But this is a FABULOUS read aloud! The text is perfect to read to a jazzy beat. When I read this to my 1st graders, I would teach them to say 'shoo fly shoo fly shoo' when I pointed to them - in a whisper. Then I would read it aloud, point to them to say their part, and it really sounded more like a song than text. The best part is when the fly gets smashed...I would slam the book shut and look at th...more
This is an ABC book that follows a black fly through the house, mentioning everything he lands on. The story itself kind of grossed me out, thinking about real flies and where they land. Stephen Gammell is a fantastic artist. The pictures were very colorful. The house is in disarray and the children aren't very clean. I agree with two-year-old when he said, "YUCK!" on the second to last page when the baby splats cake on the fly. Still, the rhythm of the story was catchy and my kids asked me to r...more
Apr 28, 2012
Nina
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
picture-book,
concept,
alphabet,
rhyme,
pattern,
participation,
insects,
fly,
song,
storytime
This book is jam packed with great uses for storytime and read out loud activities. It's a unique playful alphabet book that's just as fun as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Each letter is highlighted in bold and colourful writing and the verse ends with "Shoo Fly Shoo Fly Shoo". Gives storyteller a mechanism for kids to participate and anticipate when they can chime in. Recommended for todder, preschool and even kindie storytimes.
This book contains unique images that will make students laugh and learn at the same time! The book would be appropriate for first through third grade. The words could be used to add to the classroom word wall. Allowing each student to write a word and draw a picture to help give meaning. Older students could use this book to get creative when drafting their own ABC book.
I love this ABC book. First and foremost the illustrations are the best. The book as a great rhythm that is almost like a some. It uses rhyme to tell the story of the black fly that flies through the house landing on different things that begin with each letter. My student's particularly like the underwear page. The can listen to this story over and over.
Old Black Fly's been buzzing around and lands on an alphabet's worth of spilled drips and drops of food. This poem is fun to read aloud with it's lilting rhyme has makes you want to dance.
You could use Old Black Fly to start a unit on insects that will inspire reading, writing and scientific experimentation. Old Black Fly Unit Study
You could use Old Black Fly to start a unit on insects that will inspire reading, writing and scientific experimentation. Old Black Fly Unit Study
An ABC book following a fly that is pestering a family, through its day. Instead of "A is for Apple" you get to read "he sat on the crust of an APPLE pie". Every other sentence is followed with "Shoo fly, Shoo fly, shoo!" which my 11 month old thought was hilarious, and thus kept his attention through the whole book.
This book is super cute. It's very entertaining for not only kids, but adults too. The book keeps you guessing and makes you wonder what will happen next. The colors and illustrations in this book are great. It's a great book to read to small children, especially pre-schoolers.
the main character in this book is the fly. He buzzes around through the whole book and he's really bothering the family. and he finally gets squished. For it being a picture book it was decent. I would have rather read a different book. But if i was 10 again i would have loved it.
This book uses each letter of the alphabet to create a sentence in telling a story about a fly as he goes around the house, doing many ills. It is humorous, colorful and and has a rhythm. I however, did not like the ending as it depicted that the fly was swatted(killed).
a book about a naughty fly and all the naughty things he does in one day. they list them alphabetically. at the end of the book, the fly gets splattered. the pictures are very unique and could lend themselves to an art lesson. I did enjoy this book as a fun read book.
I just finished a unit with instruments to accompany this wonderful book. I am really attracted to the off-beat illustrations of this book. The kids love discovering that the book is an A,B,C book and trying to figure out the fate of the Old Fly. Great book!
The vivid, bright drawings in this book held my niece and nephew's eyes, while the lyrical text held their ears. Aside from Dr. Seuss, I can't usually get my niece and nephew to tune into stories with rhyming text. This is an exception to that rule.
This is an alphabet book that is ultimately about a fly. I really like how the letters are large even if they are in the middle of the sentence. It really reinforces the idea of learning the alphabet for the children and what the main purpose of the book is.
Alphabetical tale of the mischief the old black fly gets into around the home. Very abstract, colorful illustrations. The rhyming and repetitive phrase of "shoo fly, shoo fly, shoo" make this a good read-aloud for children's participation.
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Jim Aylesworth was born in Jacksonville, Florida but as an infant moved from the state. He lived in many places during his childhood: Alabama, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas... but by the time Aylesworth was 15 his family had settled in Hinsdale, Illinois and that is where he graduated from high school in 1961.
In 1965, he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in English....more
More about Jim Aylesworth...
In 1965, he graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with a B.A. in English....more
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