Aunt Pitty Patty takes her niece Nelly to the market where they buy a pig.  But, when they get home the pig will not go through the front gate.  Aunt Pitty Patty gives Nelly the job of getting the pig through the front gate.  Nelly goes to a series of animals, inanimate objects, and people trying to get them to help her get the pig through the front gate.  When she finally convinces a cat to help her in exchange for some milk, it sets into motion a series of events that ends with a dog biting the pig to get him to go through the front gate.

This book is good for guided reading because it is repetitive and rhythmic.  It can be used for a lesson on predicting and cause and effect.

The lexile level is AD680L

Naughty Little Monkeys is a great way to incorporate behavior and the ABCs in one lesson for your lower grade levels. This is definitely a book I would use in kindergarten and 1st grade. I would read it to them during the first day of school and have them point out what is wrong with the behavior from the monkeys. I would then pass out a work sheet and ask them to underline the beginning letter (ABCs) of each wrong behavior. That way I could assess each student and see what letters, if any, that they know. This would be a good transition book to teach the classroom/school rules. 

This super cute book is about a fly that goes on an alphabetic rampage until he is finally stopped by a fly swatter. This book has great rhythm and flow so it is a popular read aloud book. After reading, the children can come up with their own imitative poems. Give the students a topic and let their imaginations take care of the rest. You could even "jazz it up" by providing the students with a fun fly template to write their poems on and once they are complete, hang them for everyone to see. This book is great for first, second, third grade. You could even just use it as a read aloud to kindergarten.

Genre: Insects / Humor / Poetry / Family

Year Published:1992

Year Read:  2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

So, this review will be special since the majority of this book is told through rhyming. So I will give out my thoughts on this book in a simple rhyming scheme!

Old Black Fly’s been buzzing around,
Buzzing around, buzzing around.
Old Black Fly’s been buzzing around,
And he’s had a very busy bad day.

He buzzed through the pie crust and bothered the baby,
He also bothered the dog and got in the honey,
He bothered the older sister and he bothered the cat,
Is he going to get it, well imagine that!

I really enjoyed this picture book,
It is definitely worth taking a look.
Jim Aylesworth’s writing is witty and fun,
You will learn the alphabet once you are done.
The story is told through the alphabet,
Of the fly’s escapades, you can bet!
Imagine being bothered by a pesky fly,
Why I could just really up and die!
Stephen Gammell’s artwork is simply creative and messy,
The images of the fly flying through everything, oh bless me!
I loved the messy streak that the fly leaves behind,
In his chaotic rampage through the house that puts you in a bind!
The characters look so crazy, it is insane!
The colorings of the artwork will flow in your brain!

So go and pick up “Old Black Fly,”
It is truly fantastic, I will not lie!
If you are a fan of the weird and crazy,
Then this book is right up your alley!
Recommended for children ages three and up,
This book is harmless as a little pup!

Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog