Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall, and THEN...

After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again
Written & Illustrated by Dan Santat
Age Level: 3-7 Years
Published October 3, 2017

Humpty wants a new claim to fame.

Have your children ever interrupted you when you’re singing the Humpty Dumpty rhyme to question the situation? Why was Humpty Dumpty sitting on a wall? Why couldn’t he be put back together? Leave it to Caldecott-winning author-illustrator Dan Santat to fill in the blanks with this intelligent and inspiring book about mental health, facing fears, and refusing to give up.

In Santat’s story, Humpty Dumpty loves birds. He used to climb a ladder to the top of a high wall to be close to them and to watch them fly. Until one day he fell. Physically, he got fixed up at the Kings County Hospital. But mentally, he wasn’t okay. He became terrified of heights, and his new fear deprived him from enjoying some of his favorite things. Humpty misses the birds most of all, so he comes up with an idea to make elaborate paper airplanes in order to feel connected to them. But when one of his painstakingly crafted paper birds lands on top of The Wall, he’s faced with a hard decision: walk away newly disappointed, or face his fears and reclaim his life.

“Maybe now you won’t think of me as that egg who was famous for falling.
Hopefully, you’ll remember me as the egg who got back up . . .
and learned how to fly.”