I Was Walking Down The Road

by Sarah E. Barchas, Jack Kent (Illustrator)

About a little girl who was walking down the road and caught every moving thing and kept it as a pet.

Genres: Animals, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Nature

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun, short story about a little girl who catches every little critter she comes across and put each in a cage. The narrative is repetitive and rhymes, so it is great for beginning readers. And for parents, the ending is a good reinforcement that we should let the creatures we capture go free.

The illustrations are cartoonish and limited to black, white, and red. They are simple, yet effective and charming.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story of freedom wouldn't be as good without the cages.

[Eugenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

NY, Scholastic, 1975
This older rhyming book is a nice selection to use in early elementary classrooms for rhyming instruction. As a read-aloud it provides many opportunities for student participation with rhyme completion and repetitive text. The illustrations are simple, tricolor cartoon type. I only wish I could find it in a big book version for students to see more clearly. I can see why it has remained tried and true; the simple nature of the story is appealing and easy to follow.

[Starsha Vang · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is predictable and would be easy for kids who are just learning to read. The story of a little girl walking down a road collecting "pets" could be relatable for children. They would be able to use the pictures if they could not read all of the words. I believe they would throughly enjoy this book.

[Mona · Rating 5 out of 5]

FABULOUS book! The kids really identify with how much the animals do NOT want to be in cages. They really start to talk about it through out their lives. Also has rhyming words and repeating phrase.

[Janet]

A little girl collects a variety of creatures as she is walking down the road. Fortunately, she sets them free in the end.

Age: 2+

Skill: Phonological awareness (The rhyming in this book promotes phonological awareness. Have children guess the word at the end of each rhyming line.)

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a book i remembered from my childhood and loved, but i couldn't remember the title. i've been looking for it for years and years and recently found it. pure joy for me!!!!

[Carol Royce Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this simple book about a girl collecting all kinds of animals that she finds around her. It's a great rhyming book that I've used with beginning readers many times.