There Was a Tall Texan Who Swallowed a Flea By Susan Holt Kralovansky Illustrated by Deborah Ousley Kadair "Susie Kralovansky has created an enjoyable, kid-friendly book that mixes humor and Texas symbols. Children of all ages will love this story. As a teacher, I can already think of lessons!" -Sunny Bonnecarrere, elementary talented and gifted specialist "Great book for having fun with Texas wildlife! My students can't wait to see what he is going to eat next!" -Anne Dilworth, Parkside Elementary librarian, LISD "Whoo-ee! This delightful Texas tale is sure to charm readers of all ages!" -Paulette Rodriguez, LISD librarian Things are always bigger in the Lone Star State, and this tale is no exception. In a humorous retelling of a classic story, a tall Texan is annoyed by a flea and goes to great lengths to get rid of it. The drama builds with repetitive choruses crafted for the Western audience by Texas author Susan Holt Kralovansky and accompanied by hilarious images from talented Texas illustrator Deborah Ousley Kadair. Starting with a toad, followed by a snake, and getting progressively larger with each bite, the beleaguered (and not so very bright) tall Texan tries to get rid of his problem but just keeps getting larger. As his belly grows, so will the laughs when children read along with this delightful tale. Whoo-ee! All because of a silly flea! Susan Holt Kralovansky is a not-so-tall Texan who is proud to be a former elementary-school librarian.
Kralovansky began writing at an early age with a dream of becoming an author. She has written six nonfiction children's books about library resource materials and how they work along with stories and articles for popular children's magazines, including Turtle. Kralovansky is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the Texas Library Association. She makes her home north of Austin, Texas, with her husband and son. Deborah Ousley Kadair was trained in the Montessori method and conducts storytelling and illustration workshops for children. Having worked with young children since the 1990s, Kadair understands what children like about picture books and uses her experience to create imaginative, collage-style illustrations. She has written four books, There Was an Ol' Cajun, Grandma's Gumbo, I Spy in the Louisiana Sky, and I Spy in the Texas Sky, and illustrated many others, including Today Is Monday in Louisiana, Today Is Monday in New York, Today Is Monday in Texas, Down in Louisiana, and Chef Creole, all with Pelican. Kadair resides in Texas with her family.