I saw a Peacock

"I saw a peacock with a fiery tail

I saw a blazing comet drop down hail

I saw a cloud with ivy circled round

I saw a sturdy oak creep on the ground

.  .  . "

Ramsingh Urvel chose to illustrate this lovely and puzzling 

poem written in 17th century England to create a book

that may have special appeal for children with autism.

First of all, it rhymes.

Next, the illustrations combine simple and complex

elements in an interesting way that intrigues those

who like to study lines and repetitive patterns. 

Lastly, the whole poem is a play on words. 

The illustrations include strategically placed holes, 

which are both fun and a bit problematic for some

readers. Don't get this one if ripping a page bothers

you or your child.

The illustrations present puzzles of their own. 

Despite their simple black/white contrast and

simple outlines, they contain complicated 

repeating patterns. The shaped holes reveal

portions of both text and pictures.
From the description inside:

"Even the youngest of readers will delight in

The overturning of logic, and the 'trick' with

which meaning can be made to return . . .

Is the difference between fantasy and reality

largely grammatical?"

A Fly Went By and By and By

Repetition. It's how we learn. Kids know this, underneath the demand to repeat the game, reread the book, retell the joke, 
is the brain building itself up and strengthening connections.
Kids with autism know this, and some demand the game,
the book, the joke in quantity and duration almost unbearable
to those around them.
Early rhymes and songs like "The House that Jack Built," and "There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly" use this joy 
to teach.
So do kids' authors, particularly authors of early readers.
Repeated vocabulary gets that originally unfamiliar word into
the eyes and brain of the kid.
A Fly Went By is a classic of repetition where a boy 
encounters a veritable parade of the local fauna chasing
each other - or are they? His efforts to stop their flight
lead to repeated descriptions of the situation with the
animal names and feelings written out each time.
"SO
The fly ran away
In fear of the frog,
Who ran from the cat,
Who ran from the dog."
The story also rhymes and has simple illustrations, giving 
new readers reliable clues to what is happening in the text.

When the Elephant Walks is a newer version of this type
of story available in board book format.
So, to repeat myself, your comments and favorites are welcome
here.
-Spectrum Mom