We are so excited to have Kelly Conroy join us today to share information about Cumulative Stories.

Picture book writer and poet Kelly Conroy is a 50% silly, fun-loving, never-grow-up big kid and a 50% hard-working, focused, analytical former actuary. She loves all things magical, whimsical, and numerical, and her goal in life is to make people smile.

She was initially inspired to write by her cousins, Stan and Jan Berenstain, creators of the Berenstain Bears, and continues to be inspired by her two rambunctious sons and mini goldendoodle, Chewy.

I’m here to talk about cumulative stories.

Cumulative: (Dictionary.com) growing by accumulation or successive additions

Accumulation: (Thesaurus.com) buildup, growth, collection

Collection: (My brain) TREASURE HUNT!

Yes! A cumulative story is a treasure hunt of (typically zany) information. These books begin with a curious tidbit which leads to a more intriguing tidbit that sheds new light on the original tidbit and quickly launches the reader on a massive, surreal, hilarious tidbit collecting adventure!

While (much like this blog post) cumulative stories can include looooong sentences, they frequently also utilize rhythm and rhyme, making them among the most enjoyable picture books to read aloud.

Now for some examples:

When I think of cumulative stories, I think of THERE WAS AN OLD WOMAN WHO SWALLOWED A FLY. A woman swallowed a fly!?! I’m intrigued. She swallowed a spider!?! Whoa!... She swallowed a horse!?!?!? And then… spoiler alert… she dies. Four-year-old me did NOT see that coming. Lucille Colandro has done a fabulous job putting her own spin on this funny formula over twenty times with her THERE WAS AN OLD LADY… series by adding holiday and kid-friendly hooks.

But there’s still room for more. Penny Parker Klostermann added a medieval twist with her wonderful picture book, THERE WAS AN OLD DRAGON WHO SWALLOWED A KNIGHT.

Another classic cumulative story is THIS IS THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT. Again, adding a unique hook opens this formula up for plenty of interpretations. For example, Megan Maynor created a funny, engaging, STEM story with THE SANDCASTLE THAT LOLA BUILT. The author successfully fiddled with the format a bit by adding more and more obstacles, more and more builders, and a sandcastle’s archenemy—a huge wave! Oh no!!! But of course, that wasn’t the end.

Another I particularly enjoyed is ‘OHANA MEANS FAMILY by Ilima Loomis, which tells the story of a Hawaiian luau. While this book veers from the whacky premises you’ll typically find in this category, it is informational, delightful, and extremely satisfying.

Other recent books that follow a unique pattern are:

TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE by Gabi Snyder, which includes counting up, counting down, adorable dogs, a variety of vehicles, and a cunning cat, and BEAR CAME ALONG by Richard T. Morris, which includes woodland creatures, a river, and a gigantic adventure.

And finally, three of my all-time favorite books that illustrate the lasting impression cumulative stories can leave…

GREEN EGGS AND HAM by Dr. Seuss

ROOM ON THE BROOM by Julia Donaldson

And A FLY WENT BY by Mike McClintock—Every single day in first grade, we had reading time. And every single day, I picked this book. It is a bit on the longer side, and I never finished it, so I requested it as a gift for my May birthday. I’ve thought back on that and wondered, Kelly, why didn’t you ever just start in the middle? But now I realize, I loved the buildup. I needed to feel the mounting stress Fly was under, and when I FINALLY got to the little lamb at the end, it was worth the wait.