
Reach for this book when your child has a dream so big it seems impossible, and you want to celebrate their ambition with a dose of joyful silliness. A creative spin on the classic 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly', this story follows a determined lady who doesn't swallow things, she builds with them. Using a shoe, a pie, a cow, and more, she constructs a rocket to reach her goal: a star. It’s a wonderful story for ages 4-7 that champions perseverance and out-of-the-box thinking. This book is a perfect way to show that no goal is too lofty and no solution is too creative, all while sharing a great big laugh.
None. The book is entirely secular and lighthearted. The resolution is purely hopeful and magical.
A 4 to 6-year-old who delights in rhythm, repetition, and nonsensical humor. It is perfect for a child who loves cumulative stories like 'The Napping House' and is beginning to express huge, imaginative dreams, such as wanting to fly to Mars or build a castle in the clouds.
No preparation is necessary. This book can be read cold. Parents can lean into the repetitive structure and encourage the child to chant along as they learn the pattern. A parent hears their child say, 'I want to catch a star!' or 'I'm going to build a spaceship in the backyard!' and is looking for a book that encourages that wild imagination and can-do spirit without being instructional or realistic.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewA 4-year-old will primarily enjoy the sing-song rhythm and the hilarious visuals of a cow or a pie being part of a rocket. A 6 or 7-year-old will better appreciate the clever twist on the classic 'Old Lady' formula and see the protagonist as a resourceful, determined inventor, connecting more deeply with the theme of creative problem-solving.
Unlike its source material, which is passive and has a morbidly funny ending, this book transforms the structure into a story of active creation and empowerment. The protagonist is not a victim of her strange appetite; she is the ambitious architect of her own destiny. It turns a classic cautionary tale into a joyful, aspirational anthem for dreamers and builders.
A creative parody of the cumulative tale 'There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly'. In this version, a bold lady wants a star. To achieve her goal, she builds a rocket ship out of an escalating series of absurd objects: a shoe, a pie, a cow, a car, and so on. The rhyming, repetitive text follows her determined construction process until she successfully launches into space and gets her star.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.