- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Fairy Tales
After the Fall: How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again
A tender, wryly funny reimagining of the nursery rhyme that asks what happened after Humpty Dumpty's great fall. A quietly powerful picture book about overcoming fear and climbing back up.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Literary
Tone
- Heartwarming
- Gentle
- Inspirational
- Thought provoking
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Everyone knows that Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and had a great fall. But what happened after? In Dan Santat's Caldecott Medal-winning reimagining, Humpty is put back together, yet the fall leaves him terrified of heights, unable to climb up to the shelf where his favourite cereal sits or return to the city wall he loved for bird-watching. Slowly, patiently, he builds a paper aeroplane and finds the courage to climb the ladder again, one rung at a time, until a final soaring transformation carries him higher than ever before. Santat's pop-art-influenced illustrations are witty and full of feeling, rewarding close attention. Both funny and profoundly reassuring, this is a story about trauma, recovery and self-belief that speaks to any child (or adult) who has been knocked down and had to find the nerve to try again.
“Everyone knows that when Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. But what most people don't know is what happened after.”
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A read-aloud for 3-7s that also lands with older children and adults thanks to its layered message. Early readers of 6-8 can tackle the spare text alone, but the emotional weight and stunning art make it a memorable shared read.
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- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–8
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Overcoming fear
- Resilience
- Emotional literacy
- Read aloud
Avoid if
- Wants fast action
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Nightmares or fears
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Children feel every wobble of Humpty's fear and cheer his slow climb back up the ladder. The soaring, surprising final spread is a genuine gasp of a payoff that makes the courage feel earned and real.
- Proving yourself
- Transformation
- Surviving danger
Why parents love it
A Caldecott Medal winner that handles fear and recovery with warmth and wit. Santat's pop-art artwork rewards rereading, and the story gives parents a gentle, non-preachy way to talk about getting back up after setbacks.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Conversation starter
- Great writing
About the author & illustrator
Dan Santat.
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