There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Book

A laugh-out-loud fairy tale adventure that turns every nursery rhyme and storybook classic upside down — perfect for little readers who love a clever twist!

There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Book is a witty, empowering picture book that mashes up the best-loved characters from fairy tales and nursery rhymes in one gloriously chaotic quest. When the little old woman discovers her children are missing, she doesn't wait around — she leaps straight into the pages of every story in town, enlisting Humpty Dumpty, Jack, Princess Beauty, the Three Bears, and more to help bring them home. It's a brilliantly meta romp that celebrates girl-power, storytelling, and the magic of books themselves.

• Fractured Fairy Tale Fun: Blends beloved classics like There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs into one gloriously silly, original adventure.
• Empowering Message: A refreshingly feminist retelling puts the old woman front and centre as a bold, resourceful hero — not a passive bystander.
• Spot the Characters: Packed with familiar faces from nursery rhymes and fairy tales, this book rewards young readers who love to shout out who's who on every page.
• Books Within Books: Detailed illustrations cleverly incorporate books as objects throughout, making this a joyful celebration of reading itself.

"A fun-filled fractured-fairy-tale frolic." — Kirkus Reviews

"The fairy tale goes meta....Detailed illustrations cleverly incorporate books themselves as objects." — Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Jomike Tejido is an author-illustrator who has illustrated more than one hundred children's books. Based in Manila, he has been making people laugh with his artwork since school — where he once got into trouble for passing around funny cartoons during class. Clearly, some habits are worth keeping.

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