After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)

No one ever knew what happened to Humpty after the king's men put him back together. Here we see how he lives his life in fear now, he has constant anxiety about falling. He even tailors his life to avoid the risk even though he never fell from those places. He slowly begins to heal and fear turns to bravery in the end.
The illustrations in this book are breathtaking, there is one page where Humpty is int he grocery and the color difference associated with his anxiety is so powerful. Every child would immediately understand what is going to be said on this page just by looking at the picture.

In my opinion this is an excellent book. The book sends out a very strong message of believing in yourself and to never be afraid. The book takes places after the famous Humpty Dumpty story and showcases him being afraid to climb back up the wall where he fell. He eventually climbs his way back up chasing a paper bird he made and when he reaches the top he realizes there was nothing to be afraid of and actually hatches into a bird. I thought that this was a great twist to end the Humpty Dumpty story, something that most children should be familiar with. I found the illustrations to really highlight the message and tone the author was attempting to present. While Humpty Dumpty is near the wall in the beginning of the story, the colors show more are much darker, to show that the wall is casting a long shadow over Humpty Dumpty, both physically and mentally. As he is climbing the wall near the end of the story the colors begin to brighten, to possibly mirror his emotions. Once he reaches the top and hatches into a bird, the pages are full of bright colors that really resonate how the character is feeling. I also found the use of an already famous story and giving it a bit of a final ending really helps children connect to the book. The reader can already make a connection before even reading the story, which helps them stay engaged and peaks their interest. show less

After the Fall is a beautiful fractured tale that gives you a new perspective on what happens when you get back up after a great fall. The illustrator also uses perspective literally to show the great heights to emphasize Humpty's fears. They also use a lot of light and shadow which enhance the depth of emotion shown in this book. The illustrations and story combine to make you understand anxiety after a big accident and how you can feel when you overcome it. This story develops a simple 2 dimensional character in a nursery rhyme into a real protagonist with feelings and depth.

Primary, Intermediate,

Humpty Dumpty's life story continues after he was put back together again by all the king's men. He is mostly put back together except for what the glue and bandages couldn't fix. He resumes living his life but is limited by his fear of heights so he misses the things he used to enjoy. He tries to enjoy the birds from the ground, gets the idea to create a paper airplane, and after a lot of trial an error creates the perfect plane. He flies it and it lands at the top of the very wall he fell from and still misses but is terrified of. He decides that he has missed too much and he so he takes the tall ladder on the tall wall one step at a time, not looking up, or down but keep going. He makes it to the top and Humpty show more Dumpty hatches into a bird and flies away. His life began when he got back up.

I loved this book. It pushes the idea of perseverance even when it may be uncomfortable or awkward. It normalizes falling down and messing up and encourages the idea that "Life begins when you get back up". show less

Top 100 pick because:

A personable book about an egg that cracks but doesn't shatter. A reminder for everyone to not let fear guide you, but focus on hope and determination. I like that it is from the first person perspective-unlike the impersonal nursery rhyme, this version helps us connect with Humpty and empathize. I love that Dan Santat wrote this for his wife and her personal struggles. I can relate.

What happens after Humpty Dumpty falls? The king's men DO patch him back together, but now he's afraid of heights. But he works up his courage to return to his old perch, stretch his wings, and fly...

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Re-read August 2020

This is so highly creative that I read it three times in order to allow the stunning images to sink in! Humpty Fell off a high wall, we learned that in kindergarten. But, we new knew that Humpty Dumpty, while remaining incredibly afraid of heights, was cracked and that was that.

Until, he overcame his severe fear of getting up and climbing back on the top of the wall! And if he sat still and didn't jump around, he could remain where he belonged -- right on top.

This is such a wonderful story for little ones who might by bullied, or fell down hard enough to hurt themselves, an later, after awhile, with fortitude, learn to overcome