Module 9: Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries

Book Summary:

Who broke into the three bears’ home?  What did Hansel and Gretel do to the witch and why?  Who pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall?  Who poisoned Snow White and why?  These are all mysteries that police officer Binky (a frog dressed in a suit and tie) aim to solve.  Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries is a humorous story that provides a creative spin on classic fairytales. 

APA Reference of Book:

Levinthal, D. (2012). Who pushed Humpty Dumpty? And other notorious nursery tale

mysteries. New York, NY: Random House Children’s Books.

Impressions:

The fairytale unit is one of my favorite units of study as a teacher.  I love reading all of the classics to the students as well as the more modern fractured fairytales.  Therefore, I was very excited to read this book and it did not disappoint!  I found the creative spin that Levinthal put on each of the classics presented within this publication provided a humorous tale that forced the readers to think about the different perspectives of each character.  So often are we forced to only consider the thoughts and considerations of the protagonist.  Who pushed Humpty Dumpty? allows readers to go deeper into each of these stories and explore the mindsets and vantage points of the antagonists.  Follow along with Officer Binky and go behind the scenes of classic fairytale mysteries to find out what the bears really thought about Goldilocks’ intrusion and, of course, who really pushed Humpty Dumpty off of the wall.  Levinthal’s work not only catches the imagination of young people, but also finds a creative way to ignite childhood memories of adults as well by providing a refreshing twist on some of our favorite fairytales. 

Professional Review:

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4 -- These open-and-shut cases of nursery-rhyme mysteries are narrated by Officer Binky, a toad with a manner reminiscent of Joe Friday's on the old Dragnet TV show, with his typical "Just the facts, Ma'am" style. In the first of five short stories, the officer gets a call from Mrs. Bear, who is upset because someone broke into the family home, ate their porridge, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Based upon the evidence-a blond hair and an empty bowl, a piece of blue material caught in a chair that has seen better days, and a disheveled quilt on a bed -- Officer Binky deduces that it "could only be one dame: Goldilocks!" When questioned, she admits to being the intruder. The intrepid cop assures readers that "they'll feed her three meals a day where she's going, and she'll have plenty of time to rest." Hansel and Gretel, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all similarly treated in eight pages or less with the police officer quickly solving the mysteries behind the well-known tales. Illustrations are presented in a variety of sizes and set off by frames in different colors. At the end of each segment, a red stamp reading 'CASE CLOSED' is superimposed over Nickle's richly colored acrylic artwork. The tongue-in-cheek telling of tales will tickle the fancies of children familiar with the originals.

Source:

Owen, M.H. (2012). Who pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And other notorious nursery tale mysteries

[Review of the book Who pushed Humpty Dumpty? And other notorious nursery tale mysteries, by D. Levinthal]. School Library Journal, 58(9), 118. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com

Found through UNT’s Library Database- Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson)

Library Uses:

This book would serve as an excellent tool when discussing multiple perspectives.  After reading this story, the students could work individually or break-out into small groups to create and write the perspective of a “villain” in a classic fairytale.  For example, the students could provide a short writing describing why the stepmother was so cruel to Cinderella or what really happened to the big, bad Wolf.  These creative writing pieces could be put on display throughout the library for others to enjoy.