Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes

This may be the funniest book on the planet -- and if you have an 11 year old in your house it's a must-have. Humpty Dumpty, tired of being called the "bald, skinny eggman" is on a rampage in Mother Goose Land, and nothing the other nursery rhyme characters do seems to help until Mother Goose flies back into town. Part of the charm of the book is in the fact that Mr. O'Malley has hidden a sheep on every page (check out the reflection in Mr. Hatchery's glasses, and the king's ermine robe) along with a number of other characters making a cameo appearance: three blind "mice", the butcher and the baker (too bad the candlestick maker gets swept overboard), and the old woman's shoe, to name just a few. Lower grades will enjoy the wild antics, but it will take a 4th grader or above (including middle schoolers) to truly appreciate the zany antics of Humpty and his crew. My 5th grader says, "Mr. O'Malley writes picture books for big kids" -- she's right!

I thought this book was a hoot. My kids (4 & 8 y.o.) laugh hysterically each time we read it. This is a very amusing version of what happened when Humpty Dumpty finally had enough of being the fat bald guy who breaks apart at the end of the story. He goes around Mother Goose land exacting his revenge on all the other characters. Good light-hearted reading for youngsters who may be a bit tired of the basic Mother Goose tales.

It's Read Across America Day and Mr Hatchery has come to school to read The Nursery Rhymes of Mother Goose to a class of fourth and fifth graders. As he begins the story with Mary had a Little Lamb, the kids squirm and yawn and are bored to death. That is, until Mary runs into Humpty Dumpty, who's grown very large and very angry. It's not easy being tubby and bald and always falling off walls. He's had enough of Mother Goose Land and he's not going to take it anymore. Mother Goose is out of town on vacation, so it falls to Old King Cole to fix this situation before it's too late. Unfortunately he's not too smart, just merry, but he calls in reinforcements, Peter Piper, The Muffin Man, Jack Be Nimble, to name just a few, from lots of nursery rhymes to help, while they wait for Mother Goose to get back and get control of her bad egg..... Kevin O'Malley has written a very clever and hilarious story, full of old familiar characters, that will charm and delight youngsters of all ages. His text, full of wordplay, puns and silly jokes is only outdone by his marvelous, bold and expressive artwork. Kids will be mesmerized as they watch the chaos grow with each page turn, as Humpty Dumpty gets angrier and wreaks havoc on all who cross his path. Perfect for readers 7-10, or as a family read-aloud book, Humpty Dumpty Egg-Splodes is a wacky, laugh-out-loud romp that shouldn't be missed.