Books About Nonsense Verse · 16 titles considered

The Best Nonsense Verse Books for Kids

By the Bookroo Editors

Looking for excellent children's books about nonsense verse? This collection brings together Bookroo's highest-rated and most useful picks in one place.

Start with our editorial favorites, then browse recommendations organized by reading stage to find the right book for your reader.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose!
The Shortlist

Our 10 Favorite Books About Nonsense Verse

Sale price
$958
Picture Book · Ages 4–7 · 1974

Wacky Wednesday

By Dr. Seuss, George Booth (Illustrator)

Spot the wacky mistakes in a topsy-turvy world where nothing is as it seems.

48 pages· 315 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
4.2/5 Goodreads · 14,598 ratings
$9.99Save 4%
Picture Book · Ages 3–7 · 1960

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish

A collection of whimsical stories and poems about various creatures and their adventures.

Publisher’s Weekly All-Time Bestselling Children’s Books (2001)The National Education Association Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children (2007)
63 pages· 1,333 words· Est. 11 min read-aloud
4.0/7 Bookroo experts·4.2/5 Goodreads · 218,525 ratings
$9.99Save 4%
Picture Book · Ages 3–6 · 1971

Berenstains' B Book

A bear, bull, and baboon embark on a whimsical adventure.

28 pages· 153 words· Est. 2 min read-aloud
4.2/5 Goodreads · 6,384 ratings
$11.99Save 5%
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 2014

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!

An old lady swallows a series of animals in an attempt to catch a fly.

32 pages· 320 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
4.2/5 Goodreads · 834 ratings
$8.99Save 5%
Picture Book · Ages 3–5 · 2009

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!

A quirky old lady swallows a series of increasingly large objects, including a chick, straw, egg, candy, basket, and bow, all in the name of celebrating Easter.

32 pages· 340 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
4.0/5 Goodreads · 1,489 ratings
$6.99Save 4%
Picture Book · Ages 4–6 · 2014

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!

An old lady swallows a series of objects with unexpected consequences.

32 pages· 334 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
3.9/5 Goodreads · 455 ratings
$8.99Save 5%
Picture Book · Ages 3–5 · 2012

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose!

An old lady swallows odd items for a mysterious Valentine's gift.

32 pages· 338 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
3.7/5 Goodreads · 802 ratings
$6.99Save 4%
Picture Book · Ages 1–3 · 2015

Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA

A series of sounds and words are repeated in a playful manner.

40 pages· 43 words· Est. 1 min read-aloud
4.3/7 Bookroo experts·3.7/5 Goodreads · 4,379 ratings
$18.99Save 5%
Picture Book · Ages 3–5 · 2010

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!

A series of events unfolds as an old lady swallows various objects.

32 pages· 321 words· Est. 3 min read-aloud
4.0/7 Bookroo experts·4.1/5 Goodreads · 2,634 ratings
$6.99Save 4%
Picture Book · Ages 4–8 · 1805

Old Mother Hubbard and Her Wonderful Dog

Old Mother Hubbard's quest for her dog's delight leads to unexpected adventures.

32 pages· 398 words· Est. 4 min read-aloud
3.3/5 Goodreads · 91 ratings
$13.95Save 3%
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Nonsense Verse Picture Books

Illustrated read-alouds about nonsense verse for preschool and elementary-age readers.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Truck

Ages 3–5 · 2022

Why did the old lady swallow a truck? Discover the hilarious reason!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spoon!
Sale price
$899

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spoon!

Ages 4–8 · 2022

A series of absurd events unfolds as an old lady swallows a series of objects.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon!
Sale price
$699

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Dragon!

Ages 3–5 · 2023

A series of absurd events unfolds as an old lady swallows a series of increasingly large objects.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Worm!
Sale price
$699

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Worm!

Ages 3–5 · 2024

An old lady swallows a worm, sparking a wild Earth Day adventure.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rainbow!

Ages 4–8 · 2025

An old lady swallows a series of objects, each one leading to the next in a chain of events.

Silly Sally

Ages 4–7 · 1994

Join a whimsical parade to town, full of unexpected fun and laughter.

View all nonsense verse picture books
Keep exploring
Books about counting and numbersBooks about imaginationBooks about imagination and playBooks about opposites

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