Silly Sally by Audrey Wood

Silly Sally

by Audrey Wood

Ages 0-4

This is a delightful book with catchy rhyming verses about this girl Sally, who happens to be silly, walking backwards upside down trying to get to town.

Silly Sally went to town
Walking backwards, upside down.

On the way she met a pig, a silly pig, who danced a jig.

The pig then follows Silly Sally, dancing backwards upside down, going into town.

Then, she meets a dog, a silly dog of course, who plays leapfrog and so on.

Finally, she meets a sheep and they all fall asleep. So, how can they get to town?

Well, along comes Neddy Buttercup, walking forward, right-side up, who tickles them all and wakes them up.

It seems like a good book for beginner readers with easy vocabulary, predictable rhyming format and simple enough illustrations.

The unexpected aspect for us at home was that Ana started acting out while reciting the book back to me, trying to stand on her hands but managing to walk on all fours "upside down", very much like Silly Sally.

It has sparked her imagination enough where she adds other creatures she meets on the way to town - mainly any of the toy she happens to meet on the carpet and makes up a simple sentence about them. On the way she met a bunny, a boo-boo bunny, who hoppity-hopped...

It is a fun book to read aloud and pore over the illustrations. Each illustration gently hints at the next animal Sally might run into in the next page. The sing-song verses seem simple enough for toddlers to follow along, and catchy enough for preschoolers to comprehend.