Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries

by David Levinthal, John Nickle (Illustrator)

Break-in at the Three Bears family home? It could only be one dame. Wicked witch gone missing from her candied cottage? Hansel and Gretel claim it was self-defense. Did Humpty Dumpty really just fall off that wall, or was he pushed? Here are five fairy-tale stories with a twist, all told from the point of view of a streetwise police officer called Binky, who just happens to be a toad in a suit and a fedora. When Snow White doesn't make it to the beauty pageant, Officer Binky is the first to find the apple core lying by her bed. When an awful giant mysteriously crashes to the ground, upsetting the whole town, Binky discovers exactly who is responsible. Author David Levinthal and illustrator John Nickle retell these classic stories in the style of a 1940s noir detective novel--for kids!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mystery, Fairy Tales, Fractured Fairy Tales, Humor, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binky, an officer and a frog, solves the great mysteries that has plagued classic tales for years and years. What happened to the missing witch? Why did Snow White fall into a deep sleep? What's the real story behind the goose that lies golden eggs? Read to find out.

The illustrations are detailed, some colorful, others sepia style...many share clues to solving the cases.

Great concept, even better execution.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using this book as I teach fairy tales and nursery rhymes. This is a great addition they makes the stories even more enjoyable. Kids find it funny and exciting. I love it too.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, what a great book. Unless your children know the stories of Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel and Humpty Dumpty, plus a couple more, this book will be lost on them. For the adults, this book is priceless.

No longer is Goldilocks a poor innocent victim, she is being hunted down by Mr. Binky an Officer in Pinecone Forest and he going to track down this wanted criminal.

On to his next case, where we have to keep in mind that just because a woman is a witch does not necessary mean that she is a bad person, that is unless she lives in a house of candy – ok maybe she was but Officer Binky has discovered that Hansel and Gretel acted in self defense.

David Levinthal and John Nickle have splendid fractured old nursery rhymes. Reinventing characters with devilishly funny outcomes made this book one that I have reread a couple of times.

Imagine Harry Wolf was not someone that cried for help unless he really needed it or that Humpty was a good egg and played in a band called All the Kings Horses and All the King’s Men.

Called out to investigate, Officer Binky must now decide if Humpty was pushed or was it an accidental fall, there is little to go on since there was hardly any yolk at the scene. OK, that part made me laugh.

The book continues in this manner with Snow White and Jack in the Beanstalk. You will laugh you way through this book. I suggest that before you begin reading to your child, read though this on your own a couple of times so you can get all the giggling out and are ready to explain to your young ones what is so funny.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Move over Scieczka, there's a new funny man--or two--on the fairy tale block.

This collection feels like noir, narrates like a police detective (although he's pint-size in a larger-than-life world), and packs a laughable punch that will entertain both young and old. While you could read each retelling on it's own, it's hard not to consume this collection in a single setting.

Recommended for schools, family reading, humor and folktale collections. Especially for fans of the STINKY CHEESE MAN. Best for ages 6 & up who can appreciate the humor and have encountered a traditonal version before encountering this collection.

I really hope someone does an audio of this. You just need the right voice for noir....

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Binky - frog investigator extraordinaire - is on the case and he always gets his man. In these noir retellings of several familiar fairytales and one Mother Goose rhyme (Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Humpty Dumpty), Officer Binky uses his noggin, interviews witnesses and potential suspects, and reviews evidence from the crime scenes in order to collar some criminals. Funny, and fantastically illustrated (the picture of Officer Binky piloting his police car is great - he can barely see over the steering wheel!).

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love fairy tales, might enjoy this hilarious turn of events in the more familiar stories as narrated by Officer Binky, a detective in fairy tale world.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny! Good art.

[Emily Clancey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty is a hilarious story about an officer named Binky who solves mysteries from different fairy tale characters. Officer Binky is called out to investigate each fairy tale story and helps solve their problems. This story would be best read after reading the original stories of Goldilocks, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and several more, otherwise the story may not make much sense. Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty is a fun book for young readers in K-2 grades that have already read the original nursery rhymes, but would make a great addition to any elementary grade classroom.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

law and order for fairy tales

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book to share with children who are familiar with the original tales. Teachers can use this book as a model for writing alternative stories and introducing point of view, etc...

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty" written by David Levinthal and John Nickle is about an officer named Binky who gets called to solve mysteries from different story book characters. He gets to visit each story and help them solve their problems. The real question is: can he help every character?



The illustrations in this story are very detailed. Each page is filled with a colorful background. There are some pages that have the picture filling up the entire thing, and on some pages there are blocks of pictures showing different scenes sprt of like a comic book. Changing up the pattern helps catch the readers attention. . Bright colors are used for one storybook mystery, while black and white are used for another. One great characteristic of the illustrations is the facial expressions of each character. There is so much detail put into each one of them and it makes for a more realistic story. The different borders around the illustrations draw the attention to the picture, which helps the reader tie it in with the text.

This story is good for young readers because they can feel engaged and help Officer Binky solve the mysteries. it keeps kids interested and it has a spooky vibe. This is a great story for young kids also because it involves some classic fairy tales.

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for fractured fairy tales. This one doesn't break any new ground, but retells several European classics from the point of view of an investigating detective ala Dragnet. It's too much for my preschool story times, but would be a great read aloud for first or second grades, perhaps even older if they were studying fairy tales. It would also be a fun basis children's theater. Check it out.

[Jan Tamayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries is a fantasy picture book written and illustrated by David Levinthal and John Nickle for reading ages 4-8 years old. This book is a satire of fairytales, following frog detective Binky as he solves cases like who broke into the Bear family’s home, who poisoned Snow White before the beauty pageant, and who killed the witch who lived in the Gingerbread House. I really enjoyed this book! It’s witty and clever with its take on the original fairytales, like Humpty Dumpty having a band called All the King’s Horses and All the King’s Men. I also liked Binky closing Hansel and Gretel’s case by saying they were acting in self-defense. Binky is a really funny narrator, and having his serious, detective noir style of narration explaining the silly fairytale shenanigans is a really humorous contrast. I think kids who are already familiar with the original fairytales will enjoy the satire in this book, so I recommend it for ages 6-8. I think this book is a fun way to introduce kids on how to take an existing story and give it a twist to make it your own, and I also think it’d make a really fun read-aloud session with everyone playing the different characters. I also really enjoyed the illustrations and the contrast showing how small Binky the Frog Detective is compared to everyone else.

[Gretchen Sanftleben · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?" is a mystery story in which readers follow Binky the frog investigator as he solves classic fairytale crimes. Students will enjoy new twists on classic tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Humpty Dumpty. This book has beautiful illustrations from which students can draw inferences. This text contains riddles and complex vocabulary. Students of all ages would love hearing new twists on favorite classic stories. When integrating into classroom activities, this book would probably be best for 4th or 5th grade students. When reading, students could make a list of inferences they drew from the book. Students could then revisit the text and cite text evidence and explain how they drew their conclusions. This book could also be used to demonstrate point of view. The book switches between an omniscient point of view and the point of view of Binky. Students could practice rewriting scenes of the book from other character's points of view. They could also evaluate scenes for bias based on point of view. This wow book will leave students and teachers laughing and holding their breath until each mystery is solved!

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like "Guy Noir, Private Eye," which parodies the film noir genre and the conventions of hardboiled fiction. This frog cop handles a bunch of fairy tales and nursery rhymes as crime investigations in which the perpetrators are locked up for good. For example, the last line of the Three Bears section: "Down at the station, [Goldilocks] confessed. 'I was hungry and tired,' she said. They'll feed her three meals a day where she's going, and she'll have plenty of time to rest" along with an illustration of poor little Goldilocks behind bars with a "Case Closed" stamp across it. Cute.

I'd use this as a prompt for creative writing (mimicking tone, style, voice, etc. of a favorite piece), a read-aloud or center activity in a unit on perspective, tone, point of view, voice, conventions of genre, etc.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fractured fairy tales are fun to read or hear for kids of all ages but this book takes a different fun route. It turns them all into crime stories that need to be solved. Aside from Humpty Dumpty, Binky the Frog Detective solves the Goldilocks mystery, Hansel & Gretel, Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk. This book is great to show students how to take a piece of writing you already really enjoy and turn it into something else - think about it from a different perspective. They are also really fun short pieces to read to talk about mysteries and how the clues narrow down choices and clarify the answer. Great writing and great fun!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like crime cases, then you'll eat up these funny twists on five well-known fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Binky the cop (who also happens to be a frog) is called on to solve several mysteries. Who broke into the Bear family's house? Will Hansel and Gretel be found guilty of murder? And what REALLY happened to Humpty Dumpty when he fell off that wall? All the answers to these fairy tale crimes will be answered as Binky takes on the case.

Great pictures in this book with a fun crime scene investigation twist on the original stories. I think it would be especially fun to read aloud in a cop voice to kids.

[Lexi Wesson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I liked that it brought back nursery tales and added mystery to them. Its fun to try and find the clues and wonder about the alternative endings to these tales. Kids will love using their clues to try and find out the answer of each story. I think this would be a good book to add to a classroom because it can get the entire class thinking and making inferences. It will also teach the students to think further than the original book and try to think of other ways each tale could have ended. Great book!

[Rachel Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Traditional Literature
Grade Level: 1-3

This book includes many different nursery tales, which means it would be a good addition to any library. The stories are told in a different kind of way, which makes the reader see them with a new set of eyes. I thought the mystery part of it added a nice touch. The illustrations are good and the book is very engaging. Overall I would recommend it.

[Spencer Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me of the movie “Hoodwinked” where all these stories are told and solved by a frog. I always liked that movie and thought I would enjoy the book as well. I like how they are illustrated and have great detail to them. Another thing I found interesting is how they used humor in these stories, sort of making fun of them ironically. This book is modern fantasy and is in the 2nd-5th grade range

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traditional literature
K-5th
I loved the twist to these old nursery tales and found the book fun! I really enjoyed how the author changed up the perspective of each of the nursery tales and told it through the eyes of a detective. It was very creative and I really enjoyed how all the nursery tales correlated together as the author made it seem like they were all in the same town.

[Denalyn Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super adorable book and a great mystery book for new readers who aren't ready for "scary" or intense mysteries. This book puts a twist on classic nursery rhymes, making it familiar but new and interesting. Has great illustrations and I think kids would love the twist on stories they already know. I can see kids in the class who don't typically enjoy reading getting sucked into this one.

[Brooklyn Hinrichs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book as it brought back childhood classics and added a fun new element to them. They were mini stories so you could make lessons out of the mini stories within the book which would be very fun for a class. I would love to have this book in my class as it can be for any level of elementary school and with the pictures it will get students engaged.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever! Nursery rhymes like you've never heard them before, oftentimes flipped so the villain isn't the villain anymore. Cool book, one you'll appreciate more if you are familiar with the traditional stories.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

the date you completed reading the book: 10-15-20
a star rating (1 to 5): 5
the date: 10-15-20
the genre: fiction
appropriate grade range: 1-3
a written book review:
A very funny book! I liked the twist on the nursery rhyme.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written from the perspective of the detective investigating the crimes of the nursery rhymes, this is a really fun book to extend some of these beloved stories for children who are growing out of the nursery rhyme age.

[Caroline K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think Hoodwinked. 5 fairy tale "mysteries" told in Dragnet style. Recommended age: 4-8, but I think it would probably be more enjoyable for slightly older children who would catch more of the jokes. Clever and pretty entertaining. Illustrations ok.

[Lorna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever. I especially loved the little frog that portrayed Officer Binky.

[Meg Treiber · Rating 5 out of 5]

mystery
K-2
My favorite element of this book is the narrator and their tone. It gives the book dry humor that kids pick up on!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Officer Binky is on the case: solving nursery rhyme crimes. Who pushed Humpty Dumpty? Who invaded the Bear family's home?
In a funny detective motiff that children & parents will all enjoy.