Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Bumpety Bump!
Picture Book
For ages 3 to 6
HarperCollins, 2006 ISBN: 978-0060559991
A little boy is going out to the garden with his grandfather. He is sitting in the blue wheelbarrow going "bumpety bumpety bump" as he grandfather wheels him across the bumpy ground. Look! The little red hen is following them.
Soon the little boy, his grandfather, and the little red hen are out in the garden digging up potatoes, carrots and onions. All these vegetables are root vegetables and have to be dug up. After they have dug up enough the little boy gets back into the wheelbarrow and they are off again with the little red hen following behind.
Along the paths they go picking some beans here, some tomatoes, a lettuce and a cucumber there. The little boy is always proud to show the watching little hen how well he can pick things and she always carefully observes what the little boy is doing.
Then at last the little hen stops following the little boy and his grandfather and the tables are turned. Now they follow her. What has the little hen got to show them I wonder?
With gorgeously detailed illustrations of a rich and bountiful garden, this is delightful journey of exploration which we get to share with a little boy and his grandfather. Their closeness is almost tangible and we can appreciate how proud the little boy is of the garden and of how well he is able to harvest the fruits and vegetables that grow there. It is especially charming to see how the little hen has her own little surprise to share with us at the end of the journey.
