After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) - Dan Santat
After the Fall (Roaring Brook, $17.99) immortalized in an English nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty is put together again in Dan Santat’s new tale—physically, at least. But there are “some parts that couldn’t be healed with bandages and glue.” With a new fear of heights, poor Humpty can’t do some of his favorite things. When he does finally decide to climb his famous wall once again, he—nervously, slowly—rediscovers joy. Santat’s illustrations, which weave cartoonish humor with sober realism, communicate the egg’s emotions on the long, bumpy road to recovery. The book’s touching surprise ending is much more hopeful than the original nursery rhyme’s grim conclusion. Ages 4-7.