With short, silly verses and imaginative illustration, Once There Was… is a fun book loaded with life's little lessons. Adults and children alike will enjoy hunting for references to classic stories as they read poems involving a dancing dog, an acrobatic cat, a determined elephant, a contortionist giraffe, an unlucky rabbit, a mentoring monkey, a super ant, and more!

With short, silly verses and imaginative illustration, Once There Was… is a fun book loaded with life's little lessons. Adults and children alike will enjoy hunting for references to classic stories as they read poems involving a dancing dog, an acrobatic cat, a determined elephant, a contortionist giraffe, an unlucky rabbit, a mentoring monkey, a super ant, and more! Colorful, carefully drawn scenes depict common situations with a twist and a bit of the Texas tall tale while showing that even though life can be hard, and wishes can go unfulfilled, we can find hope and persevere.

Clara Jo Bailey loved writing whimsical poems about animals, insects and even socks. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and crafting beautiful items out of leather, paper and crochet. A faithful Christian lady, she taught children's Sunday School her entire adult life, Flannel-graph Bible stories were a favorite part of her lessons for her and her students. Clara grew up and attended school in San Antonio, and went on to become the salutatorian graduate of John Marshall High School. She received multiple college scholarships but chose to marry and be a stay-at-home mom to her three children. Her husband of forty-eight years enjoyed her wonderful stories and poems and is happy to share them with you.