Review: Humpty Dumpty Flip-Side Rhymes by Christopher Harbo

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, but what if the king's men told the rhyme? In this novel approach to nursery rhymes, half the book holds the classic rhyme, while the flip-side holds a fractured version that starts from the back. Whimsical art adds to the flip-side fun.
For ages 2-4.
*Common Core applications appropriate for very young children
*Unique flip-book approach teaches point-of-view and perspective
From the Flip-Side Nursery Rhymes series. Check out the flip-side of beloved nursery rhymes. One half of these books has the original rhyme. Flip over the book and start from the "back" for a fresh, new rhyme from another character's point of view. Bold, whimsical illustrations complement the playful text.

MY TAKE:
I thought the idea of creating a flip-side rhyme for classic nursery rhymes was a brilliant idea.

In Humpty Dumpty Flip-Side Rhymes, one side of the book contains the classic Humpty Dumpty rhyme while the other side contains a new rhyme told from the point-of-view of the king's men.

I thought the flip-side rhyme was cute, although the ending made me feel a little sick. It's not gross or morbid or anything. It's mostly because after seeing Humpty's egg yolk in the illustrations, the last thing I would do would be to do what the king's men did, even if it was cute.

The illustrations were both cute and classic, if that's possible. The cute factor came from the little birds and other details in the drawings, while the classic element came from the coloring. It seems like it was rendered using a computer, but the shades are relatively mute compared to what I'm used to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Picture Window Books for the e-ARC.

THE GOOD:

1. It's a new take on Humpty Dumpty.
2. You can now see what the king's men did after they tried to put Humpty Dumpty back together.
3. The illustrations are a good match to the text.

THE BAD:

1. The ending may or may not be your cup of tea. 

READ IT IF:

1. You like reading new takes of old stories.
2. You want to introduce your child to nursery rhymes.
3. You like the story of Humpty Dumpty. 

RATING:


SOUNDS INTERESTING?