Will I love After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)?

I firmly believe a great children’s book is a great adult’s book too. This one sure fits the bill. Humpty Dumpty has that infamous fall off the wall and what happens to him afterward is funny, healing, and magically majestic. If you know of a child (or adult) in the hospital or simply someone having difficult times, this is a book of humor, acceptance, and creative transformation. It’s a permanent fixture on my bookshelf.

The delightful and surprising book uses a metaphor to give the reader a “real” experience of fear and depression – and eventually, the courage to risk trying again even if it means failure. Humpty Dumpty not only falls from a wall but is terrified of getting back up on the wall. He lets go of many of the things he loves to do until finally, he looks up at that wall and takes the first step up. Any age reader will be surprised and delighted at the amazing ending.  

After the Fall is about what happened to Humpty Dumpty after his fall. So much of what I enjoy about this story is told through the illustrations, which beg to be poured over. For instance, we learn that Humpty Dumpty is afraid of heights after his legendary fall, which keeps him from enjoying some of his favorite things. In the illustration, we see him in the grocery store. All the fun cereals, like Bowl-O-Cookies and Choco Duck, are on the top shelf that’s only accessible by a ladder, whereas Fiber Flakes and Cardboard are within easy reach. 

Dan Santat has… show more.