What do you think?
Rate this book
There Was an Old Lady
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!
With rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song is sure to appeal to young readers with every turn of the page--a fun, hip-hopping story for fall.
30 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
34 people are currently reading
998 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews
October 20, 2020
I read this children's book to my boys today. They laughed so much while I was reading this book to them. It is a fun book, but I did not find a message. It was a cute autumn or fall book. (*)
April 8, 2013
A few years ago, Stevie the Regurgitator paid a visit to my institution. Students were mesmerized as they watched him swallow a set of keys, a master lock, and a class ring. He then regurgitated the whole mess with the ring on the lock and the keys in the lock. The guy is brilliant. Check him out on Britain's Got Talent:
http://youtu.be/n4D2Y1cILyI
Stevie's been in the business of regurgitation for years. That's why I wasn't particularly impressed with this 2010 book about an old woman who swallows a bunch of shit and coughs up a scarecrow. Big fucking deal.
The lack of originality isn't the book’s only problem: The book takes place in the middle of autumn. The leaves are falling from the trees, and there are lizards and frogs just chilling in the fifty degree weather like it is mid summer. The bugs happily dance around in the old lady's stomach, represented by a black background as vast and vacuous as outer space. This appears to be a new trend in children's entertainment, so I can forgive the chipper, partially-digested bugs. On Yo Gabba Gabba the food cries because it wants to join the tummy party. Then after the monsters eat them, the vegetables dance about in digestive fluids like they're in a poolside Roman orgy.
There's a party in my tummy! So yummy, so . . . well, there's a party on the front steps at least.
At the end of the book, the author is still all “I don’t know why she ate the leaves.” The repetition of this line throughout gives the book some degree of circularity and highlights the foreshadowing about sneezing as we get closer to the lackluster climax, but why can't the narrator piece it together? Why can't she figure out why the leaves were swallowed? She knows why the old lady swallowed pole and ate hay (yes, she swallows pole and when she does so “she’s on a roll”) Most likely the confusion about why the old lady ate leaves is an attempt to feign stupidity to elevate the self-esteem of over sensitive children who read this book. There’s nothing children love more than stupid adults. It helps increase the blow reality delivers when they enter the real world and realize that their delusions of grandeur are, in fact, delusions. Way to cripple the already-damaged egos of tomorrow's leaders, Lucille.
http://youtu.be/n4D2Y1cILyI
Stevie's been in the business of regurgitation for years. That's why I wasn't particularly impressed with this 2010 book about an old woman who swallows a bunch of shit and coughs up a scarecrow. Big fucking deal.
The lack of originality isn't the book’s only problem: The book takes place in the middle of autumn. The leaves are falling from the trees, and there are lizards and frogs just chilling in the fifty degree weather like it is mid summer. The bugs happily dance around in the old lady's stomach, represented by a black background as vast and vacuous as outer space. This appears to be a new trend in children's entertainment, so I can forgive the chipper, partially-digested bugs. On Yo Gabba Gabba the food cries because it wants to join the tummy party. Then after the monsters eat them, the vegetables dance about in digestive fluids like they're in a poolside Roman orgy.
There's a party in my tummy! So yummy, so . . . well, there's a party on the front steps at least.
At the end of the book, the author is still all “I don’t know why she ate the leaves.” The repetition of this line throughout gives the book some degree of circularity and highlights the foreshadowing about sneezing as we get closer to the lackluster climax, but why can't the narrator piece it together? Why can't she figure out why the leaves were swallowed? She knows why the old lady swallowed pole and ate hay (yes, she swallows pole and when she does so “she’s on a roll”) Most likely the confusion about why the old lady ate leaves is an attempt to feign stupidity to elevate the self-esteem of over sensitive children who read this book. There’s nothing children love more than stupid adults. It helps increase the blow reality delivers when they enter the real world and realize that their delusions of grandeur are, in fact, delusions. Way to cripple the already-damaged egos of tomorrow's leaders, Lucille.
October 11, 2016
Why would you swallow leaves? Well...I guess you will just have to read this book if you want to find out the answer...better hurry, Halloween will be here soon!
April 30, 2020
I actually read this back in September or October with my young students. I forgot to track it. I love all of these books so far. I still have a lot left to go. I am glad of that. Favorites on the children's bookshelf. Such cute illustrations.
April 4, 2013
This book is part of the "There was an old lady who swallowed a..." series. The book is about an old lady swallowing some fall time objects. In the end, she created a scarecrow with all these objects. The book is a great way to integrate math by teaching cardinal and ordinal numbers, as well as sequencing. I would also teach repetition with this book so students can see an example and use it in their own writing. Many things can be taught out of this wonderful book!
May 31, 2014
This is one of my daughters favorites. The rhyming and rhythm is a little funky in places (hence 4 stars instead of 5)... but that technicality does not keep my daughter to want to hear it over & over again.... Happy Fall! ;)
January 18, 2011
This is a silly book to read during the fall season that kids will have fun and laugh as they are reading or listening! Each page uses rhyming words and therefore is a good book to help children understand the concept of rhymes. Also, another good use for this book would be to practice choosing the beginning, middle, and end of events and stories. This is an important concept that can be used throughout life to understand sequences. Definitely a fun read that can lead to many activities!
September 28, 2014
Fun fall read aloud! "Perhaps she'll sneeze!" Find out what happens when she does!
November 12, 2014
Love the artwork, great rhythm, and the kids enjoyed her swallowing everything and then sneezing! Great for Halloween or fall or Thanksgiving celebrations at school.
October 5, 2016
Fall
Halloween
Halloween
October 10, 2017
An autumn twist to the old song about a lady swallowing a fly. At least this story she swallowed it with an effective outcome, haha. It was cute.
Ages: 3 - 6
Ages: 3 - 6
October 6, 2016
Another fabulous adventure from the old lady suffering from a terrible case of Pica.
October 2, 2017
As usual, I love this book just like the others in this series. Every time I read them to my class they get so excited to see what she swallows next, and they think it's hilarious to hear all the things she has swallowed previously. Halfway through the book they can recite the all of the things the old lady has swallowed. I love these books as it keeps kids interested to find out what happens next.
Read
October 10, 2025201 ate this up!
March 10, 2017
I enjoyed co-reading this story with my six (6) year old grandson.
January 19, 2011
This book is hiliarious! It has just the right amount of humor and grossness to keep young children engaged. In the classroom I would use this book as a math supplement to teach ordering events or sequencing. The old lady eats strange objects, and each time the objects are repeated in the order that the old lady ate them. This book would also be great to use with a prop! However, I would like the illustrations to be a little more colorful. I feel that it would make the book even more appealing to the students. I would use this book with a kindergarten class, maybe first grade but that is where I would cut it off.
November 13, 2011
So, what I can say in this book's favor is that the kids LOVED IT! One of the kids brought it in to read during storytime and they loved the illustrations and laughed at almost every page, especially the ending. My problems with it are typical adult problems. I thought the rhymes were pretty contrived and wasn't crazy about the illustrations. Also, being an adult I'm not a huge fan of repetition but I knew going in that would be a part of the book and that isn't what made me not like it. I'm just sure there are better books like this out there, whether autumn stories or rhymey-wimey humor or swallowing-based stories.
November 27, 2015
http://kachildrensbookreviews.blogspo...
I saw this book in the library and thought oh we have to read it. We all know the story of what happened to the old lady who swallowed a fly but what happens when she swallows leaves?
Well in this awesome story you have to read to find out because she just doesn't swallow leaves she swallows other things as well.
A and K both loved me reading this to them and A really enjoyed going Achoooo when it was time to. K already guessed what the old lady was making but A didn't know until the end.
The book does use repetition and rhyming so kids will enjoy it this is a good read for the fall.
I saw this book in the library and thought oh we have to read it. We all know the story of what happened to the old lady who swallowed a fly but what happens when she swallows leaves?
Well in this awesome story you have to read to find out because she just doesn't swallow leaves she swallows other things as well.
A and K both loved me reading this to them and A really enjoyed going Achoooo when it was time to. K already guessed what the old lady was making but A didn't know until the end.
The book does use repetition and rhyming so kids will enjoy it this is a good read for the fall.
December 10, 2015
Theme - Holiday (picture book)
Rationale - This holiday-themed book is set in the fall where an old lady walks through the woods swallowing autumn-themed items like a pumpkin, some clothes, some leaves, and rope. In the end, she winds up sneezing them all up and making a scarecrow! This fun holiday book is a great transitional book to read during season changes, and because it is a rhyming book, it is a great book to read aloud and act out to the class to get them active and involved.
Rationale - This holiday-themed book is set in the fall where an old lady walks through the woods swallowing autumn-themed items like a pumpkin, some clothes, some leaves, and rope. In the end, she winds up sneezing them all up and making a scarecrow! This fun holiday book is a great transitional book to read during season changes, and because it is a rhyming book, it is a great book to read aloud and act out to the class to get them active and involved.
September 16, 2016
This is a cute book, just like all of the other "Old Lady" books by Colandro. I love reading it to my Firsties because they start singing along with it and love to use their power of prediction and memorization to help me finish each page. We always collapse in giggles at the end of these books.
February 17, 2011
Nice language use on the same formula, but this swallowing to sneeze it all back up into something is just to odd.
September 15, 2011
Yep...it was just as bad as There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Bat. Lame, stupid, pointless, and poor illustrations.
April 16, 2015
Read to the students during read-to-someone station in the classroom. The students enjoyed taking a picture walk with this book that can be grouped with books about the fall season.
October 15, 2019
Perfect book for some silly fall fun about a woman who swallowed some leaves to give us a leafy surprise.
November 26, 2020
A fun autumn story book read.
March 18, 2026
In this version, the series successfully pivots from animals to the textures of autumn. The Old Lady consumes leaves, a pumpkin, a pole, some rope, and even a pile of hay. It’s a great example of how a simple formula can be "skinned" to fit a season, helping a child associate specific objects with the changing weather outside.
The 7-Year-Old Appeal: The ending is much more "constructive" than the original. Instead of a grim ending, she sneezes everything out to create a scarecrow. For a kid, this feels like a magic trick—taking a bunch of random junk and turning it into a recognizable character.
Why 3 Stars? Since the finer details of this reading experience are blurred by time, the 3-star rating reflects a respectful nod to a completed series. I clearly enjoyed the repetition enough to keep going through the seasonal sequels, even if I can't recall my specific reactions to the pumpkin-swallowing today.
The 7-Year-Old Appeal: The ending is much more "constructive" than the original. Instead of a grim ending, she sneezes everything out to create a scarecrow. For a kid, this feels like a magic trick—taking a bunch of random junk and turning it into a recognizable character.
Why 3 Stars? Since the finer details of this reading experience are blurred by time, the 3-star rating reflects a respectful nod to a completed series. I clearly enjoyed the repetition enough to keep going through the seasonal sequels, even if I can't recall my specific reactions to the pumpkin-swallowing today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2025
"There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!" was a cherished classic in my wife's family when she was a child! This book is designed to entertain and engage young readers with its humorous and repetitive story line. It utilizes rhyme, rhythm, and a cumulative narrative style to create excitement while helping children develop crucial early literacy skills like sequencing, predicting, and vocabulary. Moreover, it acts as a charming autumn-themed story that can spark conversations about the various items presented in the book and their connection to building a scarecrow. My children (ages 3, 6, and 8) find it incredibly funny and a joy to read. For me, it not only introduces the previously mentioned concepts but also helps in establishing connections, all while showcasing simple yet distinctly low-stimulation illustrations that are sure to keep the kids engaged with the narrative.
October 9, 2017
Summary: There was an old lady who sure did swallow a whole lot! This time, the old lady is going to swallow some leaves among a lot of other objects. But why leaves? By the end of the story, readers will understand why she swallowed these objects.
Evaluation: I gave this book 5 stars. The book was fun and colorful. It repeated sentences and saying throughout the book. This would be useful when reading to younger students. This book is appropriate for students to read by themselves because it is fairly and easy read.
Teaching Point: Teachers can use this book for the fall time. By the end of the story, readers learn that she swallowed all of the objects in order to make a scare crow. The teacher could also use this book when teaching students about making predications.
Evaluation: I gave this book 5 stars. The book was fun and colorful. It repeated sentences and saying throughout the book. This would be useful when reading to younger students. This book is appropriate for students to read by themselves because it is fairly and easy read.
Teaching Point: Teachers can use this book for the fall time. By the end of the story, readers learn that she swallowed all of the objects in order to make a scare crow. The teacher could also use this book when teaching students about making predications.
April 18, 2018
The old lady is back at it again with swallowing out of the ordinary things! What’s she up to? She keeps swallowing items found around the house and yard having to do with the fall season! Use this book in your classroom as a way to have your students make predictions about what other things she might swallow and what she’s trying to make by swallowing all of these weird things. This book would also be nice to have on the shelf for beginning readers to pick up and practice reading out loud with as the words within it aren’t very difficult to sound out. Not only this, but this book could also be used for beginning to teach students about some words that rhyme. Overall such an adorable book with a cute spin on the original to make it better suited for the fall season.
September 24, 2020
This was one of the many great books of the series. I love to read these books because they're so funny and non-predictable! I love how almost every book focuses on a holiday too! This book was about the same old lady who ate things such as a pumpkin, leaves, hay, etc. to make a surprise at the end of the book which is for fall. These books are great for observations too because of all of the different stuff going on in the book. These are also good books to read and have students respond to using PEER and CROWD questions. I used this book for a read aloud, and the kids loved it! I would recommend anyone read these books, you'll be surprised by what she makes!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 210 reviews