In this inventive retelling of There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, an old Cajun accidentally swallows a gnat. Kindergarten-Grade 3-This takeoff on "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly" is a lot of fun. An ol' Cajun swallows Louisiana swamp wildlife instead of a fly, and contends with a gnat ("Imagine that, he swallowed a gnat./Why he did dat?"), a skeeter, a newt, a gar, a coon, a hound- until he meets up with a gator. The simple, well-designed collages are created from cut paper and decorated with Spanish moss, pebbles, etc. A great deal of white space contrasts with the bold, black text and bright pictures. The excellent format, with text on the left and art on the right, shows each animal that's about to be swallowed opposite the explanation, followed by a black-and-white silhouette of the interior view of the Cajun's growing stomach and the phrase, "Why he did dat?" in a red frame. This appealing book has perhaps one flaw: at the end, the Cajun "swallowed the gator" and the list of the other animals is repeated; after that, "There was an ol' gator who swallowed a Cajun." Is this another gator? The lack of clarity may momentarily confuse children. However, this should not prevent purchase of this fine, humorous version of an extremely popular tale in the storytelling repertoire. Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. ""Fine, humorous version of an extremely popular tale." “Kadair offers up a story of wily humor that begs to be read.” ― Publishers Weekly “This is a vibrant, charming children’s book.” ― Midwest Book Review “Kadair’s simple collage illustrations will appeal to the audience.” ― Book Links “Fine, humorous version of an extremely popular tale.” ― School Library Journal In this retelling of the classic nursery rhyme There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, a hapless Cajun accidentally swallows a gnat. “Why he did dat?” So he swallows a mosquito, then a newt . . . until there are lots of swamp creatures inside that old Cajun. When he tries to swallow an alligator, he gets a big surprise! Children will love Deborah Ousley Kadair’s imaginative, collage-style illustrations. She uses pebbles, Spanish moss, and other authentic Louisiana ingredients to bring the old Cajun’s story to life. Author and illustrator Deborah Ousley Kadair was inspired to write this book when her husband, who really is a Cajun, swallowed a gnat. Trained in the Montessori teaching method, Kadair conducts storytelling workshops for children. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma’s Gumbo, I Spy in the Texas Sky, and I Spy in the Louisiana Sky. She has also lent her popular artwork to other Pelican authors. Kadair and her family reside in Georgetown, Texas. ALSO ILLUSTRATED BY DEBORAH OUSLEY KADAIR Down in Louisiana • Today Is Monday in Louisiana • Chef Creole • There Was a Tall Texan Who Swallowed a Flea • Today Is Monday in Kentucky • Today Is Monday in Texas • Today Is Monday in New York "Kadair offers up a story of wily humor that begs to be read." -- Publishers Weekly "This is a vibrant, charming children's book." -- Midwest Book Review "Kadair's simple collage illustrations will appeal to the audience." -- Book Links "Fine, humorous version of an extremely popular tale." -- School Library Journal In this retelling of the classic nursery rhyme There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly, a hapless Cajun accidentally swallows a gnat. "Why he did dat?" So he swallows a mosquito, then a newt . . . until there are lots of swamp creatures inside that old Cajun. When he tries to swallow an alligator, he gets a big surprise! Children will love Deborah Ousley Kadair's imaginative, collage-style illustrations. She uses pebbles, Spanish moss, and other authentic Louisiana ingredients to bring the old Cajun's story to life. Author and illustrator Deborah Ousley Kadair was inspired to write this book when her husband, who really is a Cajun, swallowed a gnat. Trained in the Montessori teaching method, Kadair conducts storytelling workshops for children. She is the author and illustrator of Grandma's Gumbo, I Spy in the Texas Sky, and I Spy in the Louisiana Sky. She has also lent her popular artwork to other Pelican authors. Kadair and her family reside in Georgetown, Texas. ALSO ILLUSTRATED BY DEBORAH OUSLEY KADAIR Down in Louisiana - Today Is Monday in Louisiana - Chef Creole - There Was a Tall Texan Who Swallowed a Flea - Today Is Monday in Kentucky - Today Is Monday in Texas - Today Is Monday in New York Deborah Ousley Kadair describes herself as southernality at its most diverse. Born in Savannah, Georgia, she moved with her family to Fort Worth, Texas, at the age of two. After she finished the third grade, her family relocated to Houston, Texas, where she fell in love with the big city. While attending Clear Lake High School, she met her future husband and also discovered her passion for writing.  After re