The classic and humorous rhyming story is about an old lady who swallowed a fly and other, larger, living creatures to catch the fly and subsequent creatures. The story's repetition helps children develop an understanding of order and sequence and cause and effect. The flannel-board version of the story includes the old lady and each living thing she swallows. This shows children size order and humorously depicts how all of the insects and animals fit in the large stomach of the old lady.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a colorful book that uses a catchy phrase and game to introduce the alphabet to children. It helps children develop an understanding of space and what happens when things are too heavy. The book shows the difference between capital and lowercase letters and helps them relate to the lowercase versions by giving them human-like characteristics and playful mannerisms. The flannel-board story includes a large coconut tree and all of the lowercase and capital letters in a variety of different colors. Some flannel-board versions may include a bent-over tree to illustrate what happens when too many letters climb up the tree. Some versions may also include bandages and other accessories to show what happens to the letters when they all fall off the tree.
The old fairy tale includes many variations. It involves a little girl who walks in the forest and finds a house with three temperatures of porridge, three sizes of chairs and three types of beds. The story helps teach children the difference between hot and cold, different sizes and softness and firmness. It also helps children understand the concept of trial and error. The flannel-board story includes Goldilocks, the three bears, three bowls of porridge, three chairs and three beds, demonstrating how she tries each item until she finds one of her liking.