Trouble for Trumpets

by Peter Dallas-Smith, Peter Cross (Illustrator)

Just as the Trumpets, summer creatures who live in a world of warmth and sunshine, prepare to hibernate, the Grumpets, winter creatures who live in the dark, frozen mountains of the north prepare to take over their land

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fantasy, Art, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 1984

Reviews

[J.G. Keely]

Late in the night, sitting in my little college apartment, paper due in the morning. The mind begins to play tricks. I can't remember the one word I want. I've been stuck on the same sentence for long minutes, plumbing my brain. But what comes up isn't a term meaning 'profiting by use without ownership', oh no. I remember this book.

Not the title, of course, or anything pertinent; nothing that will cause it to show up in my google search. Seared into my brain are little hippo-shaped goblins, depicted in ensconcing, detailed vistas. A dream of war sparrows, of seed cannons, and secret underground forts.

I search google anyways, but I could never find this book. Every few months, I'd find myself at the screen again, and suddenly, recall those vivid childhood memories. It is the sort of book one remembers, because it is not oversimplified drivel meant to cater to children. It is instead mysterious and imaginative, like Alice's Wonderland or The World of David the Gnome.

Eventually, it took someone else to find it for me, someone who didn't know what I was talking about, but who found it immediately by googling 'little hippo men book'. Love should always humble us so effectively. Unfortunately, this only brought me so much closer to my memories, as this book is now out of print and copies sell for $150. C'est la guerre.

[Zoey Haskins]

First off, I'm reviewing this book primarily from a nostalgic perspective. I was given the hardcover edition of Trouble For Trumpets as a child, and spent hours examining the incredibly detailed artwork. Something new jumps out at you every time you look at it; this book is fantastic for inquisitive children and/or families with a love of natural history.
The story is an excusably unsubtle Cold War allegory and as such, fairly unremarkable given the prevailing attitudes of its time. However, the atmosphere of the main character's quest to warn his people, the Trumpets, of an incursion by their enemies, the Grumpets, is well suited to the visuals of the artwork, done in a technical yet whimsical natural history style. The artwork is accompanied by numbered annotations briefly describing the species of animals and plants, as well as other points of interest.
All of the information in the paragraph above can be taken with a grain of salt in the face of the book's true genius: it will grow with its reader. Very young children are presented with an amazing, possibly overwhelming amount of visual detail and can be guided through the story by their co-reader. Later, as they begin to learn to read, the simple story serves as an excellent entry to phoneme/word recognition, and the reader's increasing attention to the visual details are rewarded as the illustrations provide additional narrative not present in the text.
Last year, my mother found my old, battered copy and shipped it to us in New Zealand. I am looking forward to the day that I can read it with my now four-month-old daughter. Unfortunately for those who don' t have a copy, Amazon currently lists it starting at $75 used, but sample artwork can be found here. I strongly recommend picking up a copy if it can be found at a second-hand bookshop where it will likely be much cheaper.
Does a children's book warrant a five-paragraph review? In my opinion: absolutely. Trouble For Trumpets is door-opening, and easily in the top-ten list of books that inspired me to love reading at a very young age. I can only hope it does the same for my little one.

[Adam Doyle]

An absolutely stunning book from my childhood, captivating me for hours and hours. Cross' imaginative and detailed illustrations are museum quality.

[Sarah]

I don't remember the plot beyond the two warring species (they kind of looked like hippos), but every page was a wonder. I loved the field-guide aspect, where there were corresponding numbers and plants surrounding the art on each page; sort of a sophisticated Where's Waldo...

[Jessica]

Ok, don't want to put many kids books on here.. But this is one of the best! The illustrations are amazing. Someday I will buy it for my collection but it is hard to find because it's out of print and people want like $200 for it.

[Hannah]

A very strange kids' book about season changes as war, with enormous gorgeous illustrations. As a kid I was fascinated, more by the elaborate borders of the pictures than by anything else in the book - though in retrospect, the battle between the forces of summer and winter (and good and bad moods?) is interestingly weird. Now I own my family's copy, because my parents didn't want it in the house anymore.

[Ricky Garni]

This book is so dense, so finely lined and detailed, and so zoologically and botanically fascinating, you must devote a solid hour of nap time to it with your kid or kids. Be forewarned: for whatever damn reason, it is also SO EXPENSIVE - it's been out of print for a while and undeservedly so. If you can nab it for $40 or less, do so. It is an eternal.

[Johannes]

This may be the first book I ever loved.

[m harvey]

i think this was genuinely one of the biggest inspirations for me as a kid art-wise. the story is very sweet as well, but the level of detail present is truly incredible. my parents like to refer to edward gorey as my artistic awakening and honestly i think it might be a mix of his work and this book.

[Capnniknak]

A very cute book with beautifully detailed illustrations

[Mary I.]

Note to a smart book publisher:
Reprint this book!

[Jean]

Brilliant

[Cameron Maveal]

One of my absolute favourites as a kid.

[Joe]

Where are the Grumpet's who enjoy Bluebell in the winter?

[John Pereira]

"Trouble for Trumpets" wasn't just a book, it was a passport to another dimension, a wormhole to a world where hippo-like creatures navigated landscapes crafted from clockwork and cauliflowers. It sat on my shelf like a time machine, its pages dog-eared and taped like a beloved but battle-scarred pair of shoes. Now, decades later, it's a family heirloom, passed down to the next generation of wide-eyed explorers. My five-year-old's gaze at its illustrations like they're peering into the heart of a nebula, their imaginations firing on all thrusters.

The story itself is charming, a gentle tale of good versus evil, wrapped in a blanket of whimsy and wonder. But let's be honest, the real magic lies in those pictures. It's like Peter Cross dipped his pen in starlight and painted dreamscapes onto every page. Each illustration is a universe unto itself, teeming with hidden details and fantastical contraptions. You could spend hours lost in those worlds, discovering new wonders with every glance.

Sadly, finding a copy these days is like trying to snag a front-row ticket to a Rolling Stones concert. They're rarer than a politician telling the whole truth, and about as expensive as a weekend getaway to a private island. But if you ever stumble across one, grab it. Even if it's just to flip through the pages, it's a journey worth taking.

[Les Watts]

I remember buying this book the day it came out in the 80s. An amazing adventure and incredibly illustrated By Peter Cross. Always something new to see in the escapades of the Trumpets and Grumpets. As well as appreciating the quality of the illustrations, the reason I bought it, also, the story is filled with twists and turns and intertwined within the pictures. I enjoyed this again when my children were young and they discovered a new world within the book. I am now reading this and looking at the images with my Grandson, who adores it because he can feel my appreciation. I call it the special book and its easy to get him to bed when I promise to read a passage and get him to find all the intricate details pictured. I'm still noticing things I haven't seen before. The only problem I have is that it's the original book, first edition, I still use and I would hate it to get damaged, but I will say it definitely has been treasured over the years.

[Max]

Hands down the best artwork I've ever seen in a book. Page after page of beautiful, detailed illustrations that kept me busy for hours at a time when I was growing up. The story is sort of a cold war espionage thriller involving tiny little muppety things called trumpets & grumpets. If part of you deep inside wants to see tiny pea-shooter machine guns strapped to the backs of sparrows, this is the book for you!

[Marielle]

This story is adorably dreamy. The art is completely inspiring in all the details and setting, and overall in how it brings studies of the little worlds you find in a garden to a playful level of wonder and imagination for children and adults as well. It has added to my appreciation for being outside in nature, and definitely inspired me to draw up imagined places and characters. It's a masterpiece, similar to works by Graeme Base and Stephen Biesty.

[Torron-Lee Dewar]

One of the best illustrated books I've ever witnessed. The story combined with the illustrations really captivated the mind. Growing up in school, everyone would fight to take this one home, and one day it disappeared completely... that's how much everyone loved it!

I got into drawing and writing was because of this book, and hope that one day I'll be able to find it again for old times sake.

[Jenny]

The Trumpets are peaceful creatures, but the mean Grumpets are planning an attack on them! The Trumpets must find out about the Grumpets' plot and prepare for a battle. Fantasy; great and involved illustrations.

[joel]

I read the 1st edition, sometime in the 80´s! A beautiful big hardcover with beautiful artwork inside! A treasure for any child, and now at the colects prices, a treasure for anyone!

[Melissa]

one of my favorite children's books of all times

[Christina]

AMAZING illustrations!

[Carolyn]

My all-time favorite book when I was a kid

[Owen Arman]

Fantastic illustrated book

[Steve Palmer]

favorite book growing up

[Mckinley]

This is a book to read for the illustrations.

[Christine]

Such a cool book that they no longer print. If you ever find one buy it. And then give it to me.

[Jen]

This is the book I remember most fondly from when I was little. Amazingly detailed artwork.

[Hayden]

The best book the world has ever seen.