Author · updated September 2026

Lucille Colandro Books in Order

Every Lucille Colandro book in publication order — 17 in total, spanning 1997–2021.

Every parent and kindergarten teacher knows Lucille Colandro, even if they don't know they know her — she's the author behind the beloved "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed…" rhyming picture books, the ones kids beg to hear again and again. Each one takes the classic cumulative-song format and spins it into a giggly, slightly absurd seasonal adventure (a bat for Halloween, a turkey for Thanksgiving, a rose for spring), building to a fun payoff that ties the whole silly feast together. They're pure read-aloud gold: bouncy, predictable in the best way, and perfect for the youngest listeners.

Publication Order of There Was an Old Lady Books

#	Title	Year	Get it
1	There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!	1997	Amazon US
2	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!	2005	Amazon US
3	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!	2006	Amazon US
4	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell!	2008	Amazon US
5	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!	2010	Amazon US
6	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!	2010	Amazon US
7	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!	2012	Amazon US
8	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!	2012	Amazon US
9	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose!	2012	Amazon US
10	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!	2014	Amazon US
11	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!	2015	Amazon US
12	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey!	2016	Amazon US
13	There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Map!	2018	Amazon US
14	There Was an Old Mermaid Who Swallowed a Shark!	2018	Amazon US
15	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cow!	2018	Amazon US
16	There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon!	2019	Amazon US
17	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cactus!	2021	Amazon US

Every title by year All 17, oldest to newest

#	Title	Year	Get it
1	There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow!	1997	Amazon US
2	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat!	2005	Amazon US
3	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Shell!	2006	Amazon US
4	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bell!	2008	Amazon US
5	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick!	2010	Amazon US
6	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves!	2010	Amazon US
7	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!	2012	Amazon US
8	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Books!	2012	Amazon US
9	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose!	2012	Amazon US
10	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly!	2014	Amazon US
11	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Frog!	2015	Amazon US
12	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey!	2016	Amazon US
13	There Was an Old Pirate Who Swallowed a Map!	2018	Amazon US
14	There Was an Old Mermaid Who Swallowed a Shark!	2018	Amazon US
15	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cow!	2018	Amazon US
16	There Was an Old Astronaut Who Swallowed the Moon!	2019	Amazon US
17	There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cactus!	2021	Amazon US

Frequently asked

What order should I read the "There Was an Old Lady" books in?

There's no required order — each one is a standalone based on the classic song, and they're often organized by season or holiday rather than sequence. Many families simply pick the title that matches the time of year.

How many "There Was an Old Lady" books are there?

Lucille Colandro has written well over a dozen in the series, from the original snow and bat titles through seasonal favorites like the turkey, the chick, the clover, and the cactus — with the fan-favorite illustrations by Jared Lee.

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