The Day the Calf Ate the Chocolate Cake follows the adventure of a young girl on the family farm. It takes place in the past, when life was simple and people lived on small farms that were part of a smaller community. It is a story with some words no longer or rarely part of today’s vocabulary, such as cattle guard, handkerchief, and saucer. It is a lesson on early modes of transportation, such as using wagons or one’s own feet. It takes place during a time when children had chores and learned responsibility. It is a story about a place that really existed, and it is a story of how a young girl saves the family farm.