What do you think?
Rate this book
There Was an Old Lady
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!
A new beach version of the classic "There Was an Old Lady" song and favorite series! "There was an old lady who swallowed a shell.I don't know why she swallowed the shell.She didn't tell."You won't believe why this old lady swallows a shell, a crab, a fish, a gull, a pail, some sand, and a wave! But watch out when she burps, with hilarious results!With rollicking, rhyming text and funny illustrations, this lively version of a classic song will appeal to young readers with every turn of the page. And, there's a surprise ending!
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
15 people are currently reading
484 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 127 reviews
November 3, 2025
This lady has problems.
October 19, 2024
This book follows along with all of the other there was an old lady who swallowed stuff books. I think that the author is very creative on what she has the old lady swallowing next. The lines are always rhyming in a fun way that leaves the kids reading it in giggles. The illustrations are also very well done. This is also an AR book for anyone who might want to know. I would recommend this book to others.
August 25, 2017
My 3 year old really enjoyed this book. Beautiful pictures, very cute rhyming and song like narrating.
February 25, 2018
I know I'm not the only one who found this book to be slightly (extremely) disturbing as a kid, and even more so now.... -Zoe
Read
April 10, 2018Text to teaching connection
This is an alternate version of the popular traditional story, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. I plan to read both stories for the children and do a sequencing activity. I will have cards with pictures of the different things the old lady swallowed in each story and see if the children can remember the order of events by putting the pictures in the correct order that they were swallowed. I will have a poster with two sides one for the original version of the story and one for the alternate version. The students will first match the things the lady swallowed with the correct story and then put them in the order of which they were swallowed.
This is an alternate version of the popular traditional story, There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. I plan to read both stories for the children and do a sequencing activity. I will have cards with pictures of the different things the old lady swallowed in each story and see if the children can remember the order of events by putting the pictures in the correct order that they were swallowed. I will have a poster with two sides one for the original version of the story and one for the alternate version. The students will first match the things the lady swallowed with the correct story and then put them in the order of which they were swallowed.
December 2, 2012
A highly enjoyable book, this would be a great story used in the classroom as an introduction to a creative writing lesson. The book explains reasons as to why this old lady swallowed these many different things and ends with a surprising result. The fun storyline and colorful illustrations make this a great read for young readers. Additionally, the text in the book rhymes which will help the readers because it adds a fluidity as they read. After reading this book to your students, you could easily transition it into a creative writing lesson by having your students create their own version of the story and perhpas even draw illustrations. This book is also unique because it has many different versions; thus, if a child really connects with the book you could recommend the other books for them to further pursue their reading interest.
April 14, 2018
My granddaughter says this series is her current favorite-- any of them. They are funny how the old lady has a very unusual diet, and what she consumes continues to get larger.
April 4, 2011
Rhyme, repetition, and illiteration are all lessons that could be taught using the story, "There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Shell!" Not only can this story be used for many literary concepts, but it is easy to read, so students could read this funny story alone during independent reading time. This story is just one of many "There was an Old Lady..." stories, all of which teach simliar concepts. I would love to have several of these stories in my classroom library. Students will like them because they are fun to read, and teachers will like them because they are great for teaching students about all the fun things words can do.
March 15, 2012
There Was an Old Lady who swallowed a Shell! could be paired with some of Colandro's other books in order to get students to see how Colandro uses her voice to create a sequencing pattern that flows very naturally.
This book could be used with sequencing. The pattern keeps getting repeated throughout the entire book, so it is fairly easy for the students to pick up on the repetition. Students could then use their sequencing vocabulary about whether an object was eaten before or after another object.
This book could be used with sequencing. The pattern keeps getting repeated throughout the entire book, so it is fairly easy for the students to pick up on the repetition. Students could then use their sequencing vocabulary about whether an object was eaten before or after another object.
July 10, 2014
I love any take on THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY! In this one the old lady swallows all sorts of things at the beach and then burps up a sand castle. More friendly for story time of little ones that may be afraid of the "dying" aspect of SWALLOWED A FLY or if you have a kids who may have just lost someone. Great for summer or beach/ ocean themed story time.
And even if you don't have a great voice... singing these variations of SWALLOWED A FLY is a must! Remember preschoolers usually don't judge.
And even if you don't have a great voice... singing these variations of SWALLOWED A FLY is a must! Remember preschoolers usually don't judge.
March 31, 2015
Great book to show the children what can be found on a beach. This can be a learning experience for children who have never visited a beach. For those who have it can be an extension to their experience. I would use this book for various lessons. For example reading this book and having many of the real and found objects from this book would be amazing. I can have the children place the items that the Old Lady swallowed in order from the first to the last thing she ate. It has many uses but most of all it is a fun book for children to read.
July 4, 2011
There was an old lady who swallowed a shell. I don't know why she swallowed the shell. She didn't tell. Lucille Colandro wrote this humorous installment of there was an old lady series. This old lady swallows beach themed items until she suddenly burps. Young children love this repetitive style book that allows them to participate in part of the story and eagerly await the next item the old lady swallows. The illustrations by Jared Lee are as comical as the text.
November 5, 2012
This is another good story for young students learning sequencing. Of all the "There Was An Old Lady" books I'd have to say this is my least favorite because the words and rhythm aren't quite as good and it seems like an add-on book that could've been left unwritten in my opinion. But it. Reinforces the concept so it can be useful. It's still a good book just not as good as the fly and the bat stories.
Read
November 29, 2013This story centers around the little old lady swallowing beach items. In the end she burps up a sand castle. There is a little old lady book for every part of the year. This is a good one to introduce at the end of the year, before summer vacation. Like all the rest of the books, the sequence in the story is repeated and built upon. Children love filling in the blanks when listening to this story.
April 12, 2014
Colandro, L. "There was an old lady who swallowed a shell!" (2006). New York: Scholastic.
This book series is popular with young children. It's very humorous. There is an old lady, who swallows items (in this book, relating to the ocean). Each item relates to the next. For example, she swallowed a shell, and then she swallowed a crab, to live in the shell. At the end she burps, and a sand castle pops out, created by all the items she swallowed. The whole book rhymes creatively, as well.
This book series is popular with young children. It's very humorous. There is an old lady, who swallows items (in this book, relating to the ocean). Each item relates to the next. For example, she swallowed a shell, and then she swallowed a crab, to live in the shell. At the end she burps, and a sand castle pops out, created by all the items she swallowed. The whole book rhymes creatively, as well.
February 2, 2015
I absolutely love these books. I can never wait to get to the end to see what the old lady is going to make when she spits everything out, which is a reason I think kids enjoy these books so much as well. Also, because of all the rhyming and repetitiveness, it makes it easier for kids to follow along and read with you. The illustrations in these books are also enjoyable because they are so lively, and kids usually find them very funny as well.
March 31, 2015
This book series is very popular with young children. It's very humorous. There is an old lady, who swallows items, and each item relates to the next. For example, she swallowed a shell, and then she swallowed a crab, to live in the shell. At the end she burps, and a sand castle pops out, created by all the items she swallowed. The whole book rhymes creatively and also uses sequencing and repetition.
April 5, 2011
This is a fun book that students will enjoy! Children can predict the next thing the old lady will swallow, and how the story will end. I think it would be a fun writing assignment to have older students make their own "There was an old lady who swallowed a ______" story. This story could also be used to show rhyming and repetition in text.
June 24, 2012
I love this book! This book would be great to use when teaching ELL students different words in the English language. After reading the book approximately three times, the teacher can tell the students to listen for a specific word in the story. Once the students hear the word, they can play an instrument, clap their hands, or spin around in a circle!
October 11, 2012
This book would be a good book to use to teach sequencing. The kids would have to retell the story and in what order the old lady swallowed what. Another thing that this book would be good for is to teach rhyming words. I can have picture cutouts with the words underneath the picture and they can match up all the rhyming words together.
April 28, 2015
This was a predictable book that has a great pattern. The old lady swallows all these thing and when she burps, she surprises everyone. This would be a great book for 1st or second graders to have a laugh when they need to calm down and get back to work. I would buy this to have in my classroom library.
April 1, 2015
Great presentation! Easy transition in that was related to the book. The children were given a sea shell and then put it in a bucket and then sat down for story time. Literacy prop was a Dr. Seuss hat. Seren's lesson was based on sequencing and used the book to keep us engaged by asking questions. She used puzzle pieces to re-tell the story as her learning experience.
March 29, 2015
This book is another in the series. This story is very funny and entertaining to children. The old lady begins swallowing small objects that are all relate to the beach. No one knows why. At the end, she burps up a sandcastle with everything that she has eaten. The text rhymes and the illustrations are enjoyable.
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Genre: Children's Picture Book
March 31, 2015
A suspenseful and what is going on here atmosphere story. The book follows an old lady who swallows ridiculously strange and large objects. The book is all about repetition and sequence and is full of wonderful colours and illustrations. The book has a surprise ending and is fun for children of all ages.
October 5, 2015
What I loved about this book is that it is a great intro o showing children what can be found on a beach, and the first graders I read this to enjoyed the repetitious text because they were able to read with me at certain points of the book. This silly, fun story will give young readers and enjoyable reading experience!
Read
April 4, 2016In this rendition of the classic tale of the old lady who swallowed a fly, the old lady swallows a whoe series of items on would find near the ocean.
Age: 1+
Skill: Writing (This series of books is conducive to writing opportunities during which either individuals or groups of children can create their own story with a similar plot.)
Age: 1+
Skill: Writing (This series of books is conducive to writing opportunities during which either individuals or groups of children can create their own story with a similar plot.)
August 5, 2009
This was a fun variation of the song the old lady who swallowed a fly. I read it to a three year old and she thought it was hilarious that a woman would even try to swallow such things because there is no way she really could.
April 23, 2013
Can be used for:
Retelling and sequencing
Problem and solution (eating one thing led to more and more)
Many lines have repetition
Have students create something similar where doing one thing leads to another and another
Retelling and sequencing
Problem and solution (eating one thing led to more and more)
Many lines have repetition
Have students create something similar where doing one thing leads to another and another
January 30, 2015
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Shell!
by Lucille Colandro
an absurd remake of the original impossible story it has the same writing technique and rhythm can be used with the same song cadence
by Lucille Colandro
an absurd remake of the original impossible story it has the same writing technique and rhythm can be used with the same song cadence
Read
March 13, 2015This is very similar to the book there was an old lady who swallowed a fly and these books could be used when teaching the theme of repetition or rhyming in conjunction when doing a two-day lesson. I enjoyed this story because of the poetic phrasing and the beach theme. I enjoy the
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews