AFTER THE FALL by Dan Santat

Santat, Dan. After the Fall. New York: Roaring Brook, 2017. Print.

I am always interested in fractured fairy tales or retellings of nursery rhymes. But this picture book is not that at all. This is a sequel to the original -- to that story we have all heard -- about the unfortunate Humpty who fell off the wall and broke so badly that he couldn't be repaired.

After the Fall tells us what happens after Humpty takes that famous tumble. It's the second verse, told within the pages of a picture book. And, thankfully, it fleshes out a bit of what the first one left out.

Caldecott Winner Dan Santat gives us a bit of Humpty Dumpty's bio in his latest picture book, and the clues are in the illustrations. (See the wall hanging on the 2nd page spread). And through the story, Santat also shows us just how much Humpty's accident has shaped his life.

At the beginning of the story, we learn that Humpty's unfortunate fall was indeed "great"-- having a profound effect on his current reality. He has never forgotten it, and it has changed how he does things (such as not sleeping on the top bunk, and forgoing anything on the top shelf of a grocery store). He has tried to make do.

But Humpty had a dream, and the force of it is strong. Soon, he pursues it once more. He pursues it with perseverance and courage, narrating his struggles honestly. And in his sincerity, we connect with him, especially after seeing all he has gone through to get here.

After the Fall is poignant, and may be a bit melancholy. And, ingeniously, though it is melancholy, this nursery rhyme sequel is also inspiration, motivation and encouragement -- and will find its readers with those who have a tough goal ahead, or had a bad break, or who never quite overcame that obstacle in their path.

We may not have known how much we wanted to know about Humpty afterward, but we did! And we all root for him here.

Santat's art gives us lush layers of story: the grandness of the wall (told through scale), the things he can no longer enjoy (told through color), the faraway-ness of the dream (told through perspective), and the effort put forth to reclaim his dream (told through panels). All of these done well.

But it is Santat's storytelling and crafting that make this book a must-read.

Read this book to hear the rest of the story, and to once again, enjoy the brilliance of Dan Santat's work.

(P.S. I wrote this post from the advance copy provided by Macmillan Kids. I can't wait to get a final copy! After the Fall celebrates its book birthday today. I have been waiting for this day for awhile!)