"Yippee-O-Ki-Yee!"

Whenever I'm selecting a new batch of books to check out from the library, I'm always drawn to humorous retellings of classic songs, rhymes, and stories.  That is exactly what this book delivers.  There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea by Jennifer Ward gives a Southwestern twist to the classic silly song "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly."  In this version, a wily coyote swallows a tickly flea, plucked right from his knee.  In his quest for a remedy he continues swallowing a series of very interesting things, each one a little bit zanier than the last.  "It takes lots of practice to swallow a cactus!"  The flow of this rhyme is so catchy I find myself singing the story instead of simply reading it.  And the bold, delightful illustrations by Steve Gray make this one a new family favorite.