“It was just an accident. But it changed my life. Fortunately, the king’s men managed to put me back together. Well, most of me. There were some parts that couldn’t be healed with bandages and glue.”
Genre: Fiction/Children’s Literature
From the eyes of the character from a famous nursery rhyme, Humpty Dumpty’s journey in this book is one of trauma and regaining a sense of self after a tragic accident.
After the Fall begins with Humpty’s recovery. He was put back together, but pieces of himself were not the same following the fateful fall. He mentions how his fear of heights is interfering with his daily life, which is a sign that the fear is controlling him. He loves the cereal on the top shelf, his bed is on the top bunk, but most of all, he loves bird watching from high places. Eventually, he contents himself by creating a paper airplane “bird” that he watches in awe as it soars through the sky. When it lands on the wall, however, he overcomes his fear to retrieve the item he dedicated so much time to creating. The book ends with Humpty rejoicing on top of the wall as he sprouts wings and flies away.
The transition of Humpty turning into a bird at the end is extremely symbolic. Prior to the fall, he was a simple lover of bird watching, but after he picked himself up and restored his confidence, he rose even higher than he had in the past. Humpty’s conquering of his fear made him stronger and freer. This is an incredible message to children, and the beautiful illustrations as Humpty sprouts wings are very moving. I think this book is a perfect way to introduce the effects of trauma to children and the ways that it can be overcome.
The Grand Adventure 