by Jim Aylesworth
Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
(Holt, 1992)
The Minnesota Humanities Organization has developed a study guide in connection with its listing of storybooks with a Minnesota connection -- Illustrator Stephen Gammell lives in Minnesota. Click here to go to the Minnesota Storytime page which has a link to the study guide. Or access the guide directly from this link.
Choral Reading/Performance (organizing):
Make an alphabetical list of the items Aylesworth used in this book to represent each of the letters of the alphabet. Apple pie, baby, cookies, dog, eggs, frosting, and so forth.
Distribute the words on a card, one to each person in the group.
Give each person a large piece of paper and ask that each person create an illustration that will depict the word on their card. Dark, vivid colors will be more visible to the audience when the illustrations are used in the performance.
Each person should memorize the verse in which their "word" appears.
Line those who will be reciting the verses in a straight line. Their illustrations should be held in front of them, turned so that the audience can see only the blank back side of the illustration.
As Old Black Fly is recited by the group, the person whose verse is being recited should step forward and turn his/her illustration for the audience to see. As each participant steps back into the line they should keep their illustration so that the audience can continue to see the drawing.
When the text is completed, all of the illustrations should be visible to the audience.
If you wish recite the text one more time, this time as the text is recited reverse the illustrations so that at the end all of the illustrations will be displaying the blank side once again.
On the flap of the book jacket Aylesworth says, "My kids [first grade students] love to help me sing this book. They take the 'Shoo fly' part and I take the rest." If you can sing this text ask the listeners in your group to join in on the refrain just as Aylesworth does. If you can't sing it perhaps you can find someone else who can, your school's music teacher, a parent volunteer, or perhaps your school's principal.
Aylesworth, Jim. Old Black Fly. Illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Holt, 1992. 32 pages. ISBN: 00805014012 (o.p.); ISBN: 0805039244 (paperback, 1995); ISBN: 0805058400 (Board Book, 1998).
