Humpty Dumpty
Kindergarten-Grade 4–King Humpty Dumpty surrounds his world with a fence, thereby separating his colorful kingdom from the dim, dusty domain of the peasants. He spends his days smelling the flowers, enjoying the songs of birds, eating elegant meals, admiring artwork (paintings of himself), and reading by the light of the setting sun reflecting off diamonds. When a curious peasant peeks over the fence, the enraged king fires all of his staff and begins building a higher barrier out of heavy stones. However, the pampered monarch is unused to such work and has a terrible fall, landing on the other side of the wall. The peasants bury him with little fanfare, and the book concludes with the traditional nursery rhyme. Delessert's gray-and-brown peasants resemble the whimsical mice and rabbitlike creatures inA Was an Apple Pie(Creative Editions, 2005). Humpty has an egg-shaped head with a large protruding nose and wears a golden half-circle crown. The surreal landscape is embellished with realistic-looking birds and flowers. The illustrations are the real strength of the book. Unfortunately, this interpretation of Humpty Dumpty is too bleak and heavy-handed and lacks child appeal.–Robin L. Gibson, Granville Parent Cooperative Preschool, OHCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.