In my opinion, many of the songs supposedly for children are cheap, mean or too adult. I don't mean they are sexual, just that they are not about things kids care about.

Take 'I know an old lady who swallowed a fly.' The tune is drab, the verses are interminable, and it used to make me feel a little sick. Flies are filthy, and the thought of eating one is disgusting.


When my nieces and nephews were little, I wanted something better for them, so I got books of children's poetry from the library and set the poems to music. Those songs were a hit! In fact, there was even one about an insect.

If you catch a firefly and keep it in a jar,
You will find that you have lost (beat) a tiny star.
If you let it go then, to fly into the night,
You will see it once again (beat) star bright.

Of course, we had the advantage that fireflies occur here and the kids knew what the song was about. Another advantage is that the song is short. This is about the right length for a preschool child.