There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon Paperback and Audio CD

There Was an Old...

by Jennifer Ward

Paperback and audio CD

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Space, Aliens, Humor, Fiction

Audio CD

First published March 10, 2015

About the author

Jennifer Ward is the author of more than 25 award-winning nonfiction and fiction books for children and adults.

Her books have been translated into many languages and featured in Martha Stewart's Living, Ranger Rick, on NPR, television's Animal Planet network, and on many popular blogs such as Soule Mama.

Most of Jennifer's books are inspired by science and nature and artfully combine elements of STEM & literacy.

She writes full-time from her home in Illinois where she lives with her husband and two dogs and is easily distracted by everything outside of her windows - particularly if it has feathers!

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in the same fashion as “There was an Old Lady...”, this rhyming story depicts a hungry Martian that swallows anything he can get his mouth around. From comets to cows and even a rover, the Martian eats and eats, but there seems to be no rhyme or reason. Along comes the Sun and everything changes indeed. Neo laughed as I rushed the story along, listing the menu of items that were consumed until the very end, when things abruptly changed.

[Miya Gaub · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are familiar with the story of the old lady who swallowed a fly, this story is a creative spinoff of the story in a space theme. The book starts with an old Martian swallowing the moon, and continues has he swallows a comet, a rover, and many other objects. Each verse gets longer as the old Martian swallows more things. The pictures are just as colorful and silly as the words that make up the story. I think this book is easy to engage in because the kids might be able to start memorizing the verses and read along with the reader. There are also a lot of cool ideas in regards to space so that would be fun for kids who are interested in the topic. This book is not deep or realistic, but if you’re looking for a short and goofy story, I would recommend this book.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to win a copy through a Goodreads Giveaway. Overall, I enjoyed this book from cover to cover. The illustrations are marvelous and will definitely draw children's attention to the funny rhymes. I'm excited to see the children enjoy this in our collection. It seems like a book that will be very popular in our story times.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Goodreads first reads. It's an interesting soon off from on the "Old Lady who swallowed a fly". My nine year old thought it was funny and is bringing it to school to read to her little buddy in kindergarten!

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am enjoying these reads by Jennifer Ward and illustrated by Steve Gray ... i think that is correct ... it is not showing now that i am in the review section on Goodreads??! any who ... they work so well. i got this on through the lending library ...you can do that once a month on Amazon ... i think it is called?? i always forget till the next month to return that previous book. these books will make you smile. i love the creativity and fun. maybe your children or even you adults who enjoy this style of read ... you will have a blast. check them out!!

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

Doesn't have the same catchy rhythm as the old lady who swallowed a fly, and is missing the repeated catch line, perhaps she'll die--or a variation for the rhyme. But otherwise cute and clever

[Meg McGregor · Rating 2 out of 5]

The girls and I were just a little disappointed by this; and that was a bit upsetting, as we have really enjoyed all the others we have read!

We all gave it only two stars!

The illustrations are zany and whimsical and they are what saved this book from being given only one star!

[Aimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story

In the ever popular riff off There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly, there is a Martian who swallows lots of things in space, until he's finally full. Cute and funny.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illustrations are really fun but the text doesn't fit into the song very well.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book. The grands loved it!

[Berkley K. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute

The pictures are very colorful and detailed. Easy to read and definitely fun for a bedtime story. My son liked it.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute piggy back story
well illustrated and engaging

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This title went with our Summer Reading theme so I used it for Story Time. It was cute. The kids enjoyed it.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The grandchildren love reading about space and had lots of fun with this book.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received my copy of There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon free through the Goodreads First Reads program.

Riffs on this folk song have been turned into picture books way more times than I know, but most aren't quite like There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon. While Jennifer Ward's playful lyrics are of the same professional caliber as other versions of the song, Steve Gray's artwork is unexpectedly soaring and splendid, notable for its rich colors, ambitious scope, and eye-pleasing level of detail. Wherever the old Martian zooms in our solar system, gobbling up space debris and heavenly bodies indiscriminately, he does so in front of the awesome backdrop of deep space, and Steve Gray doesn't let us forget that. It's an effective counterbalance to the silly nature of the song, as the Martian's meals grow larger and more improbable until finally he sets his sights on swallowing the centerpiece of our planetary system. Is a Martian who seems capable of downing anything ready to take on the Sun?

This original re-imagining of the There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly song is fun, but I think it's the illustrations that make the book, and they are the primary reason I would up my rating to one and a half stars. There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon could have been a legitimate candidate for the Randolph Caldecott Medal, honoring the best in American picture-book literature every year. Steve Gray is an artist to watch, and I'm sure I'm not the only one impressed by his contributions to this book. There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon is a light, entertaining song/story, and young readers will have a good time with it.

[Douglas]

I love reading aloud to my granddaughter and giving her the opportunity to read back to me. Finding an age appropriate book that allows me to get animated as I read is not always easy. "There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon" by Jennifer Ward and beautifully illustrated by Steve Gray is such a book. By the time I was on page 3 Isabella was giggling wildly. I thought she might be laughing at me so I asked her, "What are you laughing about?" She replied, "this book is so funny." And rightfully so with the easy to read rhymes and colorful imaginative action illustrations that follow the story. This book is a definite improvement over those common childrens' books available and was a fun read to share with my granddaughter. We could have shared this with twice as many pages, it was that much fun. It did require some adult interpretations and support noises along the way but that added to our enjoyment. Isabella even got in a few "Zoom's" and "Beep's" as we turned the pages.
This book added to my long list of unforgettable moments of joy and sharing with my granddaughter. They grow up so fast but helping her learn to love reading is a gift to give that has limitless value. I'm sure I'll be asked to read this one again and again.

[Emmaline MacBeath · Rating 4 out of 5]

SUMMARY: In this version of "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly," a martian buzzes about the universe eating things. He eats the moon, a cow, and even the sun. But then he is done.

ILLUSTRATIONS: The illustrations were created digitally. They are colorful, fun, and simplistic enough for the younger crowd.

THE GOOD: I very much enjoyed the fun of watching the martian zipping about eating things in space. Between eating things, there were words like, Blast off, Beep, and zoom, allowing for younger children to participate in the story. There are some new concepts such as a land rover and comet.
THE NOT AS GOOD: I would have liked a slightly longer book with more space concepts in it (why the cow?) Then it would have fit the age group.

AGE RECOMMENDATION: Ages 4-6 would like this the best, especially children who love learning about space and making noises along with the story.

[Marsinah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've got a special fondness for picture books starring aliens. They're just always so delightfully silly and often clueless about the world of humans. This little green fellow doesn't disappoint. Follow along as he gleefully disrupts the cow jumping over the moon and derails our solar system, gleefully gobbling up some of Nasa's expensive equipment in the process. This tale of an alien on a binge is a bit shorter than the classic There Was an old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly tale because it skips some of the repetitiveness of all the things inside the alien's stomach chasing and interacting with each other. As such, it makes this tale of astronautical mayhem very suitable for younger audiences with shorter attention spans.

[Aviva Gittle]

What Fun! I giggled the whole way through...

Adults will love reading this to their kids. I thought it was hilarious; kids will likely bust a gut. The pictures are bright and funny; a perfect complement to the rhyming story. The ending was quite a surprise. :-) Highly recommended. If you enjoy it, I would just buy it in print. (This is why I love KindleUnlimited. You can try before you buy and, as long as you read at least 10% of the book, the author gets a royalty. A win-win.)

[Ginni · Rating 4 out of 5]

(I received this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.)

There Was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon is exactly what you would expect from a re-telling of The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly. The objects are replaced with funny space-related things. The illustrations are zany and goofy.

I wasn't particularly impressed by it. My kids love the repetition, but that's obviously inherent to the original. The illustrations also feel impersonal and strange, and that's HUGE when illustrations are so much of the book, but maybe it's my jaded adult eyes talking.

[Jawknee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway.

I love the illustrations in this book.
The story itself is cute and enjoyable.
However, I was a little disappointed that the items the Martian swallowed weren't connected.
Like how the old lady swallowed a dog, to catch a cat, to catch a bird, to catch a spider, to catch a fly.
Maybe it's just too difficult to connect planetary bodies in a similar fashion.

[David Bril]

This spin on the classic Old Lady series, has a Martian swallowing all kinds of space related items. What stands out in this book is the neat space items swallowed, including unique items such as rovers and comets. There is even a classic nod to another famous children's story/song, on the opening page. The visuals are fantastic here, with great colours and fun animation. This is a strong take in the Swallowed library.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the Goodreads giveaway. The illustrations were beautiful and the rhymes were cute. The bright colors were awesome and kids will love it. My only critic is that it could have been a little longer and the cow rhyme is cheating a little off of the original "Old Lady Who Swallowed A...".

[Juliana Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the classic style of the old woman who swallowed a fly, this martian is zipping and zooming all over the universe to fill his belly. He swallows the moon, a cow, a comet, a spaceship, a rover,and even Mars. But when he swallows the sun… he’s done! http://julianaleewriter.com/books-ali...

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was able to preview this book through FirstReads. This book is a super fun take off of old song " There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly". The artwork is AMAZING and makes this story come alive. I can easily see my self singing this tune. A must have for your library.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very nice book for children! The illustrations are amazing. I would recommend this book and author to anyone who is looking for something great and different to read to children.

It is also a good book for beginning readers.

[Brian Mccoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my sons favorite book. He has me read it to him at least 3 times a week. Great, simple story, and fantastic illustrations. I very much recommend it.

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I must disclose that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Gail Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was an Old Martian Who Swallowed the Moon is a new version of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. In this new version the illustrations are silly and imaginative. I found it was much more fun to sing the book instead of reading it. Children will love the pictures and silly noises.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new version of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. Very colorful & whimsical art. Read it to children after they have become familiar with the original story so they can enjoy a new story with a different twist.