“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!” is a humorous St. Patrick’s Day picture book in the popular Old Lady series by Lucille Colandro, illustrated by Jared Lee. It uses a catchy, cumulative rhyme about an old lady who keeps swallowing spring and St. Patrick’s Day–themed items, starting with a clover.

What the story is about

  • The old lady first swallows a clover, then a daisy, then a butterfly, a bird, a pot, some gold, and even more themed objects depending on the version.
  • Each new item is swallowed to interact with the previous one, for example:
    • She swallows the daisy to brighten the clover.
* She swallows the butterfly to rest on the daisy.

* She swallows the bird to glide with the butterfly.

* She swallows the pot to carry the bird.
  • In the end, all the swallowed pieces come together into a colorful surprise connected to St. Patrick’s Day, often a rainbow with a hidden pot of gold.

“There was an old lady who swallowed a clover.
I don’t know why she swallowed the clover, but she didn’t roll over.”

Why kids and teachers like it

  • It’s written in a cumulative, sing‑song rhyme, where each line builds on the last, which helps with sequencing and memory skills.
  • The book is frequently used in March for St. Patrick’s Day read‑alouds in preschool and kindergarten classrooms.
  • Teachers use it for:
    • Sequencing activities (putting the items in order).
    • Predictive reading (guessing what she’ll swallow next).
    • Introducing symbols like clovers, rainbows, pots of gold, and leprechaun lore.

Mini “forum style” discussion view

User A: “Is ‘there was an old lady who swallowed a clover ~~’ a real book or just a meme?”
Answer: It’s a real children’s book in the There Was an Old Lady series, published by Scholastic and widely read on YouTube and in classrooms around St. Patrick’s Day.

User B: “Is it good for kindergarten?”
Yes—lots of read‑aloud channels and teacher resources feature it specifically for kindergarten and early elementary, often with quizzes or extension activities.

SEO-style quick facts

  • Main topic: There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover! children’s book.
  • Trending context: Commonly resurfaces every March with new read‑aloud videos and teacher content for St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Key themes: Rhyming, sequencing, seasonal symbols (clover, daisy, butterfly, bird, pot of gold, rainbow).

Meta description (for your post):
“There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Clover!” is a playful St. Patrick’s Day children’s book where a wacky old lady swallows a clover, a daisy, a butterfly, a bird, a pot, and more to create a magical rainbow surprise.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.