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The Adventures of Isabel
The feisty Isabel defeats giants, wishes, and other threatening creatures with ease
32 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1936
3 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Ogden Nash
236 books195 followersFrederic Ogden Nash was an American poet well known for his light verse. At the time of his death in 1971, the New York Times said his "droll verse with its unconventional rhymes made him the country's best-known producer of humorous poetry".
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
April 6, 2020
My friend is homeschooling his girl due to the Covid19 mess and, amongst other things, they read poetry almost every day. This one sounded cool so I read it as well.
Little Isabel meets all kinds of other creatures (a bear and a witch to name but the first two) and all pose a threat to her but the little girl knows how to defend herself. *lol*
It's about a self-reliant little girl, unafraid and creative when faced with dangers so it's perfect to read with children. The poem is also humorous and therefore probably even better to read.
Not the best I've read but quite cute and amusing.
Little Isabel meets all kinds of other creatures (a bear and a witch to name but the first two) and all pose a threat to her but the little girl knows how to defend herself. *lol*
It's about a self-reliant little girl, unafraid and creative when faced with dangers so it's perfect to read with children. The poem is also humorous and therefore probably even better to read.
Not the best I've read but quite cute and amusing.
March 19, 2019
Cute books teaching kids not to be afraid. I liked that it rhymed and used 5 dollar words..
September 19, 2015
"Isabel, Isabel didn't worry.
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up.
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up."
So much love for this poem, and this makes it into a great picture book. One of those books to help a mom raise strong, courageous girls. And maybe be a strong, courageous girl herself!
Isabel didn't scream or scurry.
She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up.
Then Isabel quietly ate the bear up."
So much love for this poem, and this makes it into a great picture book. One of those books to help a mom raise strong, courageous girls. And maybe be a strong, courageous girl herself!
September 5, 2016
A delight to read out loud. Isabel is a brave girl who faces a lot of scary situations and deals with them decisively. The rhymes are well done and Isabel is inspiring. However the challenges she faces are frightening (bear with sharp claws and a knife, hideous one-eyed giant, green warty witch) and perhaps too much so for a very young child.
November 11, 2024
Great girl-power book. My kids (age 17 and 18) were talking about children's books they loved as kids, and this one was mentioned at the top of the list.
February 12, 2009
A darling girl calmly fights giants, witches and a bear. Lovely lyrical poem reads smootly and the illistrations are beautiful.
November 26, 2020
A nice bedtime story time read.
September 18, 2023
Genre:Poetry
Grade K-3
I wasn’t a big fan of this story. I felt that the poetry was a bit of a stretch in order to rhyme. I also don’t think that it was very engaging. Although Isabel did face many scary creatures throughout her adventures I don’t think it was a very entertaining way to tell the story. I also think some of the wording used in order to rhyme may be too confusing for the age group this book is designed for.
Grade K-3
I wasn’t a big fan of this story. I felt that the poetry was a bit of a stretch in order to rhyme. I also don’t think that it was very engaging. Although Isabel did face many scary creatures throughout her adventures I don’t think it was a very entertaining way to tell the story. I also think some of the wording used in order to rhyme may be too confusing for the age group this book is designed for.
January 7, 2018
I used this book in and Oral Interp class for early elementary children. I was very disappointed with the illustrations and gave it away, wishing I'd bought the book with the original illustrations. These were a bit scarey while the original celebrated the imagination of a child. I will use the original illustrated version but not this illustrated version in the future.
December 13, 2020
This fanciful Ogden Nash book was good as originally conceived, but it has entered the rarified air among the best of all children's books by the unparalleled illustrations in this new, improved edition. The pictures tell the story better than the text, and the text is good on its own! This is a must read for any parent/child, but it's especially good for a little girl named Isabel 😉
February 1, 2019
This is a funny poem about a brave little girl who fights off monsters, witches and bad doctors. James Marshall's bright but creepy art is dark as hell, and I think loved it. Keep on fighting that patriarchy, Isabel!
March 23, 2020
A delightful narrative poem with exciting adventures that children will enjoy to read. A good poem for discussing rhyming couplets and encouraging children to think of adjectives and fictional events.
August 17, 2025
This book got dark real quick. So, here’s a little something for you:
Isabel Isabel had some trauma
Was on her own, and where was her Momma?
She chopped off heads and ate up bears
I read this book and it gave me the scares
Isabel Isabel had some trauma
Was on her own, and where was her Momma?
She chopped off heads and ate up bears
I read this book and it gave me the scares
August 15, 2023
I enjoy the clever rhyming, and I liked the moral of the story. But the violence was much too gruesome for me, and also that giant was super scary with only one eye.
April 16, 2021
Genre: Modern Fantasy
Age Range: Primary
This is a fun book that will teach kids about not being afraid of their fears. To face their fears head on and not be afraid! A book that I would want in my classroom!
Age Range: Primary
This is a fun book that will teach kids about not being afraid of their fears. To face their fears head on and not be afraid! A book that I would want in my classroom!
September 13, 2016
Goodread #5
Summary:
This book was originally written as a poem in the 1930s however, is now a story book for children to read. Throughout the book Isabel does many courageous and fearless things such as, eating a bear, turning a witch into milk, killing a giant, and curing a doctor. Every time Isabel is faced with a new challenge the reader cannot help but wonder if she will be able to make it out alive. Isabel’s actions are not expected because Isabel is portrayed as a sweet innocent girl in the illustrations.
Themes:
I believe the theme that is being portrayed in this book is to be adventurous and not be held back by your fears. For Isabel, even things that are much bigger and tougher than her are not scary. Isabel is willing to put herself out there for to go on these wild adventures which makes her courageous.
Personal Response:
I was able to personally connect Isabel’s sense adventure to my own. I am always ready for an adventure and do not let me fears get in my way. When I was a sophomore in high school I went bungee jumping which was the most courageous and adventurous thing I have ever done. Being scared of heights, I had to put my fears aside like Isabel did so that I could experience this exhilarating moment.
Recommendation:
I believe this book could be helpful when teaching students about rhyming and poems. The illustrations and storyline keep students engaged and wondering what Isabel will do next. However, some of the words in the book may be a bit challenging for an elementary audience.
Summary:
This book was originally written as a poem in the 1930s however, is now a story book for children to read. Throughout the book Isabel does many courageous and fearless things such as, eating a bear, turning a witch into milk, killing a giant, and curing a doctor. Every time Isabel is faced with a new challenge the reader cannot help but wonder if she will be able to make it out alive. Isabel’s actions are not expected because Isabel is portrayed as a sweet innocent girl in the illustrations.
Themes:
I believe the theme that is being portrayed in this book is to be adventurous and not be held back by your fears. For Isabel, even things that are much bigger and tougher than her are not scary. Isabel is willing to put herself out there for to go on these wild adventures which makes her courageous.
Personal Response:
I was able to personally connect Isabel’s sense adventure to my own. I am always ready for an adventure and do not let me fears get in my way. When I was a sophomore in high school I went bungee jumping which was the most courageous and adventurous thing I have ever done. Being scared of heights, I had to put my fears aside like Isabel did so that I could experience this exhilarating moment.
Recommendation:
I believe this book could be helpful when teaching students about rhyming and poems. The illustrations and storyline keep students engaged and wondering what Isabel will do next. However, some of the words in the book may be a bit challenging for an elementary audience.
October 23, 2012
Summary
This is a cute poem about the story of a girl named Isabel who runs into 6 different scary creatures. most children would normally be terrified, but not Isabel. Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry. Isabel didn’t scream or scurry. For every scary creature that she encountered, she stood up to the creature and didn’t back down. She was very brave and did not show any fear to the scary things that she encountered on her adventure.
Response
I rate this poem a 5 out of 5 stars. This is a very easy to read poem and it tells a story along the way. I think that a lot of children can easily relate to this poem because i know younger children have a lot of fears and reading this poem can maybe inspire some children to stand up to their fears such as Isabel did. The illustrations to go along with the poem are very cool and sometimes even funny, and they did great job at making each creature scary looking.
Classroom Connection
one way that I think children can express themselves through this book would be to have them think of some experience that scared them, or something that they are afraid of, and tell what they did to overcome that fear, or what they can do to overcome that fear, and I would have them put it into a poem. Not super long but just enough to get the point across, I think this would be good for the children to start learning how to write poetry and begin rhyming.
Text Complexity
Lexile Unknown, Guided Reading Level K, Grade Equivalent 4.9
This is a cute poem about the story of a girl named Isabel who runs into 6 different scary creatures. most children would normally be terrified, but not Isabel. Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry. Isabel didn’t scream or scurry. For every scary creature that she encountered, she stood up to the creature and didn’t back down. She was very brave and did not show any fear to the scary things that she encountered on her adventure.
Response
I rate this poem a 5 out of 5 stars. This is a very easy to read poem and it tells a story along the way. I think that a lot of children can easily relate to this poem because i know younger children have a lot of fears and reading this poem can maybe inspire some children to stand up to their fears such as Isabel did. The illustrations to go along with the poem are very cool and sometimes even funny, and they did great job at making each creature scary looking.
Classroom Connection
one way that I think children can express themselves through this book would be to have them think of some experience that scared them, or something that they are afraid of, and tell what they did to overcome that fear, or what they can do to overcome that fear, and I would have them put it into a poem. Not super long but just enough to get the point across, I think this would be good for the children to start learning how to write poetry and begin rhyming.
Text Complexity
Lexile Unknown, Guided Reading Level K, Grade Equivalent 4.9
November 17, 2009
"Isabel, Isabel didn't worry, Isabel didn't scream or scurry." Isabel is the self-reliant and daring heroine in Ogden Nash's The adventures of Isabel. She meets a hungry bear, a wicked old witch, a hideous giant and a troublesome doctor, all of whom are all out to get her. In each case, with patience and calmness, Isabel gets the better of them. Bridget Starr Taylor brings spunky Isabel to life with her vibrant watercolor paintings.
I enjoyed this poem in picture book format. Ogden Nash's narration on CD was a sweet serenade to his real-life, spirited daughter, Isabel. From the afterword, I learned that Nash wrote many poems for his two daughters and often included them in the poems. I also learned that the artist grew up singing his poems because her mother was close friends with Nash's two daughters. There is supposedly an extra stanza that was added 30 years after the poem was first published, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet... Students will enjoy listening, reading and reciting this poem. One activity that would work well with this poem is to have students come up with another adventure for Isabel, using Nash's poetic form, and then illustrate it. Grades K-3
I enjoyed this poem in picture book format. Ogden Nash's narration on CD was a sweet serenade to his real-life, spirited daughter, Isabel. From the afterword, I learned that Nash wrote many poems for his two daughters and often included them in the poems. I also learned that the artist grew up singing his poems because her mother was close friends with Nash's two daughters. There is supposedly an extra stanza that was added 30 years after the poem was first published, but I can't find it anywhere on the internet... Students will enjoy listening, reading and reciting this poem. One activity that would work well with this poem is to have students come up with another adventure for Isabel, using Nash's poetic form, and then illustrate it. Grades K-3
October 1, 2012
Summary: This poetry picture book tells the story of Isabel who seems to be a fearless little girl. Throughout the poem, she encounters creatures who try to eat her and scare her, but she doesn’t care. The illustrations in this book are very colorful and each page with a rhyming description of a creature has a picture that matches the description.
Response:
This story is cute and makes me feel happy. It shows young children how to conquer their fears in a humorous way. I think that this book deserves four stars. This book has excellent illustrations and a child protagonist. Both of these elements of the story will draw a young reader to want to read this book.
Classroom Connections:
I think a good classroom connection for this book would be to have students draw a picture of something they fear. After they draw the picture, I would have students write a short poem about their fear or how they might be able to conquer it. By having students write a poem about their fear, I could use this opportunity to teach students about elements of poetry.
CSS:
Lexile: Unavailable GR: K Grade level: 4.9
Response:
This story is cute and makes me feel happy. It shows young children how to conquer their fears in a humorous way. I think that this book deserves four stars. This book has excellent illustrations and a child protagonist. Both of these elements of the story will draw a young reader to want to read this book.
Classroom Connections:
I think a good classroom connection for this book would be to have students draw a picture of something they fear. After they draw the picture, I would have students write a short poem about their fear or how they might be able to conquer it. By having students write a poem about their fear, I could use this opportunity to teach students about elements of poetry.
CSS:
Lexile: Unavailable GR: K Grade level: 4.9
March 7, 2015
You know that post of chilling things kids say? (No? Check it out on Buzzfeed) This is a book for those kids. It’s a bizarre little story that honestly might freak out some more sensitive kids (or parents).
Isabel is a strong little girl who doesn’t have fear and goes into a situation ready to handle it. She encounters some creepy and dangerous foes, but takes them on head first…though I have to admit her disposition of eating monsters is a bit chilling. I find myself at odds with this one…in some cases it’s just a bit weird and in others I’m in love with it. I love that it’s a bit disturbing and that the little girl puts the monsters in their places, but holy-cow it’s weird.
The art is beautiful and a ton of fun to look at, and I love that the watercolors are so bright and vibrant. The book also comes with an audio cd with Ogden Nash reading the poem, which is a great addition since the cadence is a bit odd and I needed some help understand the rhythem.
Overall it’s a unique story with a lot of character and spunk.
Isabel is a strong little girl who doesn’t have fear and goes into a situation ready to handle it. She encounters some creepy and dangerous foes, but takes them on head first…though I have to admit her disposition of eating monsters is a bit chilling. I find myself at odds with this one…in some cases it’s just a bit weird and in others I’m in love with it. I love that it’s a bit disturbing and that the little girl puts the monsters in their places, but holy-cow it’s weird.
The art is beautiful and a ton of fun to look at, and I love that the watercolors are so bright and vibrant. The book also comes with an audio cd with Ogden Nash reading the poem, which is a great addition since the cadence is a bit odd and I needed some help understand the rhythem.
Overall it’s a unique story with a lot of character and spunk.
November 16, 2011
Wow. I'm not sure what to say about this book.
Except that both Little Miss and the Legomeister loved it.
I think it's meant to be empowering, but to a sensitive child this could be disturbing. My kiddos adore disturbing.
Isabel is threatened by an enormous hungry bear. She eats him. She turns a witch into milk and drinks her, cuts a giant's head off, and gives shots to the doctor.
The verse feels a bit awkward, but I can tell if I read it frequently I would get to know the cadence and how to make the words fit. Also, the illustrations (in this edition, done by James Marshall) are mediocre.
This might be useful for teaching a child plagued with nightmares about lucid dreaming. You know, showing examples of nightmares and solutions one could imagine. Otherwise, I recommend this to children who aren't fearful and enjoy the ludicrous.
Except that both Little Miss and the Legomeister loved it.
I think it's meant to be empowering, but to a sensitive child this could be disturbing. My kiddos adore disturbing.
Isabel is threatened by an enormous hungry bear. She eats him. She turns a witch into milk and drinks her, cuts a giant's head off, and gives shots to the doctor.
The verse feels a bit awkward, but I can tell if I read it frequently I would get to know the cadence and how to make the words fit. Also, the illustrations (in this edition, done by James Marshall) are mediocre.
This might be useful for teaching a child plagued with nightmares about lucid dreaming. You know, showing examples of nightmares and solutions one could imagine. Otherwise, I recommend this to children who aren't fearful and enjoy the ludicrous.
February 2, 2013
A fun read aloud written in rhyme, Isabel crosses paths with all sorts of terrifying creatures, but she handles each one with her unique style.
A confidence builder of a book like Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley with full color illustrations by James Marshall. Monsters aren't depicted as particularly gruesome which is part of this book's charm and the devilish ways in which Isabel defeats her demons is again handled lightly. Share this book with preschoolers and early elementary school students.
A confidence builder of a book like Go Away Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley with full color illustrations by James Marshall. Monsters aren't depicted as particularly gruesome which is part of this book's charm and the devilish ways in which Isabel defeats her demons is again handled lightly. Share this book with preschoolers and early elementary school students.
August 28, 2015
This is a cute poetry picture book about a brave little girl, named Isabel. Nothing fazes Isabel: she meets up with a bear that wants to eat her, a witch, a one-eyed monster, and a creepy doctor. The book has fun rhymes to it, with somewhat complex vocabulary words. The illustrations are very colorful watercolors that are fun to look at. It's kind of old-fashioned, and I'm not sure I care for the part about the creepy doctor. I'm going to share this book w/my 5th grade students, so we'll see what they think.
December 16, 2015
The adventures of Isabel published in 1991 by Ogden Nash was my favorite book as a child, I would make my mother hunt it down every time she went to the library and as an adult I still have memories of it, after 5 years of searching for the book; I found it. I cried when I got to re read the book that I always had to have as a kid. And now As an adult I understand the important message in the book. Thank you Mr. Nash for this poem. I will buy this book and read it to my child.
August 27, 2016
The illustrations in this version, done by Bridget Starr Taylor, make the story feel like a fantasy adventure. It has an almost happy-go-lucky feel. It works, really well actually, but I find myself drawn to the absurdness of this version: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
Anyway, lovely illustrations, fun verse, and strange and somewhat gruesome story.
Anyway, lovely illustrations, fun verse, and strange and somewhat gruesome story.
July 25, 2009
The illusrations are cute and all, but the great thing abot this book is that it comes with a recording on C.D. of Ogden Nash reading "The Adventures of Isabel" himself! Very, very cool for little ones and big people alike.
April 1, 2010
My students LOVE this book, and the audio CD is fabulous. They love the simple poem and the colorful pictures. I don't think I've ever read it aloud to them without getting requests to read it a second time. Thank goodness it's a short book!
March 11, 2011
This funny, unique story is a book that many can relate to. There are funny rhyming words throughout the story that could be used for a rhyming word lesson. This book sends a good message to students to no be afraid of evil things in their lives.
August 1, 2015
In the version I read the witty and hysterical text was complemented perfectly by James Marshall's illustrations. Challenging vocabulary and a brave female protagonist make this a fun and educational read aloud.
January 20, 2016
I got this book because it was written by Ogden Nash. It's an odd little rhyme about a little girl named Isabel who always faces her problems however ferocious and deals with them (a lot of times by eating them).
Cute illustrations.
Cute illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews