E-I-UFO: Old MacDonald Had a Farm

by Zach von Zonk, Benjamin Chaud (illustrator)

Get ready to sing and laugh along with this intergalactic twist on the classic children’s song “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” in a rollicking picture book from author Zach von Zonk and beloved illustrator Benjamin Chaud!

Old MacDonald had a farm—that is, until an alien spirits his animals away in a UFO. Now, Old MacMartian has a farm—in space—and young readers will delight in the out-of-this-world hijinks that result when cows, pigs, sheep, and more create chaos in his spaceship. 



With a zerp zap and a zerp zap there, colorful and detail-rich illustrations bring this hilarious tale to life as Old MacMartian and his faithful three-eyed dog get a bit more than they bargained for with their messy, hungry, noisy, and mischievous new barnyard companions. E-I-UFO!

A LAUGH-OUT-LOUD TAKE ON "OLD MACDONALD": From a UFO abduction of farm animals to the playfully reworked nursery rhyme we all know and love, the delightful chaos that ensues in this rhyming picture book delivers heaps of humor and outrageous scenarios.



STANDOUT A familiar children’s song paired with a space twist makes E-I-UFO the perfect read-aloud. Kids will love singing along, making animal noises, and saying “E‑I‑UFO!” again and again.



FARM ANIMALS + SPACE = Farm animal antics! A UFO! A Martian managing a farm in space! There's so much for kids to love. E-I-UFO takes the popular farm animal theme to new heights with a space setting, resulting in unexpected and ticklishly funny mayhem.

Perfect


Fans of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” song and books


Parents seeking a laugh-out-loud picture book


Educators, librarians, and caregivers in search of a picture book with a farm theme


Kids who are learning about (and love) farm animals or space (or both!)


Fans of Benjamin Chaud’s books, including The Bear’s Song and I Didn’t Do My Homework Because …

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Aliens, Animals, Humor, Childrens, Space

32 pages, Hardcover

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title hooked me in, but what really sealed it for me was the familiar cheery tune, juxtaposed with the utter chaos and destruction that unfolds when Old MacMartian decides to bring a bunch of farm animals onto his ship. Tailor-made for a raucous space-themed storytime!

[Skye Elder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instead of actually reading, I was singing this out loud!
It was fun! I really enjoyed this book!📕

[Ben Cober · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly kids go through the common phase of learning their barnyard animals and their sounds, and that inevitably leads to countless renditions of Old MacDonald. After the 10,000th rendition, grown-ups might start to lose their minds and go cross-eyed from the tune, which is where E-I-UFO beams into the atmosphere and provides a MUCH NEEDED, refreshing twist on the story.

The artwork and comedic writing, placing lovely and surprising twists on the generations-old narrative, has little ones giggling at the havoc the barnyard animals wreak onboard the alien's spaceship (and of course the farmer losing his overalls).

Subtle lessons - like the responsibility of animal care - are interwoven, and it may be one of the first instances where young readers are exposed to a funny, unique twist/rendition on a traditional/classic story to which they're accustomed, introducing an entirely new brand of humor.

E-I-UFO is a lovely addition to any little one's library, and is sure to inspire joy, laughter, and creative play.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely hilarious twist to The Old MacDonald Had a Farm song. In this version, Old MacDonald's farm animals have been sucked up into a spaceship. However, Old MacMartian's attempt to learn about the animals are totally thwarted by the mess the animals make on the ship. No surprise, they are all sent back safely to Old MacDonald. This is a lively picture book that will be great fun to share, especially if you are interested in having an enthusiastic singalong!

"Old MacMartian had a ship,
E-I-UFO!
And on that ship he had a mess.
E-I-OH NO!"

[Kalynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Date: 05.22.26
Attendees: 63
Theme: Space
Introduction and announcements: Tickle the moon

Book one: Molly’s Moon Mission by Duncan Beedie

Song/rhyme/game one: Zoom Zoom Zoom

Book two: E-I-UFO by Zach von Zonk

Song/rhyme/game two: The Wiggle Dance by Danny Go!

Book three: Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty

Song/ rhyme/ game three: Solar System in Motion

Announcements: Summer Reading kick-off next saturday

Activity: https://buggyandbuddy.com/straw-rocke...

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may need to buy this book. I admittedly was singing this as we went along and was having so much fun. I think kids will love this. I think it would be really fun as a story flannel board or even as a puppet show. The illustrations they are hilarious. The illustrator did just as good of a job as the author and together this book is so much fun. Kids are gonna love it and parents are not going to mind reading it more than what once, but maybe more than 100 times but not more than once

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Panda Incognito · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is hilarious and cute, and is entirely singable. Kids and adults will have a lot of fun with this.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great take on this song - the pictures are dynamic and the whole thing is so funny.

[Cheryl Gladfelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely hilarious book that I can't wait to sing in storytime. It made me snort-laugh multiple times!! That's high praise.

[wildct2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

So clever! Definitely sing it.

[Rebecca]

This would be a fun, unconventional picture book to read when discussing farm animals. Illustrations are giving me strong Kate Beaton & Andrea Tsurumi vibes (in a good way!).

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great space/martian take on old macdonald

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect for a Farm storytime, Space storytime or a Sing-me-a-story storytime

[Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this was hilarious.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and fun rendition of the classic, it is sure to get a bunch of laughs from kids. There were a few moments that broke the rhythm a little for me, but overall it was still very fun.

[Sandra Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic with the right amount of punch! :)

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started off good and then got too silly for me.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh out loud antics when Old McDonald's animals get beamed up to a spaceship by an alien and cause more raucous antics than the alien was bargaining for.

[Elizabeth Capps · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a huge hit at my storytime at the library today.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new take on old macdonald had a farm with an outer space twist. Preschool and up

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a silly, fun read or sing aloud.

[Colorado Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

will definitely use this in an older kid storytime and one with singing or space themes or animal themes. good message about cleaning up in there too.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rhymes, fun chaos, alien abductions, and a final satisfying return.

[Maggie]

The chaos that Old MacMartian brings wholly unto himself (set to the familiar tune) is delightful.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute

[Abbigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid picture book that will be great for farm storytimes, alien storytimes, general read-alouds, and kids who like silly stuff or nursery rhyme parodies.

[Marcie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a favorite for the 5th graders even though they didn't join in like younger kids.

[Trilby Wolff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny spin on Old McDonald!