Tumble

by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

This gorgeous, poetic story follows the unexpected journey of a lone tumbleweed making its way across the desert.

Wind blows.

Tumble goes.

Fence stops.

Tumble hops.

Cactus waves.

Tumble stays, and stays, and stays.



Using simple, succinct text and richly colored art, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom follows one tumbleweed on its journey across a desert unexpectedly teeming with life.



Tumble is an incredible read-aloud perfect for storytime or newly independent readers. Extensive backmatter identifies every plant and animal featured in the book and provides more information on the misunderstood tumbleweed and its ecosystem.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Nonfiction, Plants, Storytime, Childrens, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 6, 2023

Reviews

[Adriana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the author-illustrator. I'm totally biased, but I love the way this book turned out. The story came to my mind from a story-duel with my child. The challenge was to create a story about the word "tumble". He already had a story in mind about tumbling through portals in space and time. But when he said the word, what came to me was my past life as a scenic painter in Santa Fe. Desert landscapes and visiting West Texas for the first time is what came to mind. Looking beyond the surface of a place you thought was barren and empty and finding life beneath the surface is what inspired this story.

[Lissette Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHO KNEW TUMBLEWEED WAS THIS INTERESTING?!?! (Adriana knew!) Love, love, love this book! Kid are going to enjoy reading about the fascinating journey of tumbleweed too! It’s a fun, rhyming read-aloud with the cutest colorful illustrations! I highly recommend this book!

[Laura Zimmermann · Rating 5 out of 5]

With simple rhyme and engaging illustrations, “Tumble” follows the life-cycle of a tumbleweed as it tumbles through the animals and other plants in its world. A wonderful read aloud with added information at the end about tumbleweeds and their ecosystem.

[Tamika Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and informative story about the life of a tumbleweed. I love this book because it is easy enough for young readers/listeners and engaging and informative for older kids. It's also an excellent teacher resource for life cycle conversations and fun read-aloud activities.

[Curren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part picture book, part non-fiction. This is a wonderful book that is a cute read while also being informative. Tumbleweeds were a mystery to me as a kid so I would have loved reading this back then.

[Mariana Ríos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know much about tumbleweeds before reading this cute book. I enjoyed the beauty and peaceful rhythm of simple rhymes paired perfectly with beautiful and engaging illustrations, which at the same time allow the reader to learn about the life cycle of a tumbleweed. I particularly liked the pages at the end of the book where readers can learn more facts about the tumbleweeds and I also enjoyed finding the animals and plants that appeared through the story. My daughter and I had fun going back and trying to remember in which pages we had seen them and discovering new details each time we read the book. I must say my favorite animal illustration is the gray wolf, that scene is magical. I loved discovering the breathtaking beauty of different sights that can be found in the dessert. This book showed me something so simple can be very beautiful. I think many kids will love Tumble, especially those who love the outdoors and animals.

[Jill S · Rating 5 out of 5]

TUMBLE is a lovely story about a tumbleweed’s life cycle. There’s a peaceful, meditative quality to the story (both pictures and text). The illustrations are exquisite. The book is a celebration of nature, especially this specific ecosystem, which I see by author/illustrator Adriana Hernández Bergstrom’s dedication, was inspired by the Southwest. Kids will want to read this again and again, each time focusing on a different animal or plant. The back matter includes a spread called “can you spot the plants and animals?” and I found myself looking back in the book to again and again to see the animals and plants within the story’s illustrations. I think this book is a perfect gift, especially for young readers who enjoy nature (though it could help foster an appreciation for nature as well).

[Janet Squires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tumble, written and illustrated by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom, tells a visual story of a tumbleweed’s journey. The illustrations are the highlight here where the minimalist rhyming text (only about 25 words) provide a concise summary of the action. The narrative traces the tumbleweed through growing and flowering to the moment it breaks free to scatter seed as it races before the wind.

Following the story is a double page spread with names and images of plants and animals that share the habitat of tumbleweeds. An additional page provides more facts and a step-by-step illustration of the tumbleweed’s lifecycle.

The simplicity of word and picture makes this a perfect book for young readers and an excellent introduction to a study of this unique plant.

Recommended for home and school libraries.

[Jorge Inzunza · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Tumble" by Adriana Hernández Bergstroom offers a look at the multiple living beings that inhabit the desert. It is an original perspective on the cycles in apparently inhospitable places, but the action of the wind, rain, sunlight, day and night is enough to see wonderful creatures flourish. The illustrations are very striking and invite you to immerse yourself in contemplation. My favorite is where the author illustrates the night, an owl is perched on a cactus, bats fly and a coyote howls at the moon. It has a beautiful summary on tumbleweeds. With minimal text, it's ideal for young readers who are learning to read alongside significant others. I look forward to visiting Adriana's new books.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so happy to receive this in a Goodreads giveaway! I love the short rhymes and charming, simple storyline. The illustrations are lovely and have the added bonus of being naturalistically accurate with a variety of desert animals and plants - all labeled at the end of the book.

Reading this book aloud is a sweet way to familiarize my daughters with an American landscape very different from our own. One of my favorite things about it is that it can be enjoyed by different ages. It is short enough for little attention spans, but the illustrations allow for more interaction with older children, even those who can learn the names of desert species and find them in a scavenger hunt. I’m glad to have this gem in our home library!

[Katey Howes · Rating 5 out of 5]

With simple but evocative text and illustrations bursting with color and surprise, TUMBLE makes an excellent read aloud (and read again and again!) book for anyone interested in nature. Deserts may seems empty at first, and tumbleweed not too exciting - until Tumble travels through day and night, crossing stretches of sand and an empty road, hopping a fence and making friends with a cactus. And then - what's this? Tumble spreads, sprouts, and blooms! Age-appropriate back matter helps readers identify all the living things shown in the pages and explains the unusual life cycle of a tumbleweed.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you ever wonder where tumbleweeds come from? This book will answer that question! The text is rhyming and simple so this would work for toddlers. Who could then pretend to be tumbleweeds and tumble around the room! Though preschoolers could do that also. So this would make a fun and unique selection for story time!
I liked all of the desert animals included in the story (I see you, baby javelina!) and also the "seek and find" aspect that was included at the end. The author also includes more information about tumbleweeds! Did you know that you can even build a snowman out of tumbleweeds?! How crazy is that.

[Pablo Fedriani · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing way of seeing a cycle happening and with great illustrations and meaning behind it. I think this book should be the Caldecott winner because it is great in it's simplicity, it takes something that we all know like the tumbleweed and it makes a wholesome story about the process of this plant. To be fair I didn't even know the process and now I do because of this book. The illustrations for me are the best part of this book, the tumbleweed changes colors depending on the situations, and the color of the scenes really adds to the story and the look of this book.

[DC Canada Education Publishing · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were a tumbleweed rolling across a Texan desert, where would you go?

The expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” takes on a new meaning in Tumble by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom. With only two to four words per page, the focus is on the author/illustrator’s beautiful images done in soft strokes and colours that transport readers into a unique landscape.

Read the rest of the review on our website: https://www.dc-canada.ca/blog/review-...

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tumbleweeds have always fascinated me; the way the wind just blows them from place to place, never getting to settle down anywhere. This book takes you on a journey with a tumbleweed across the desert. On that journey the tumbleweed meets many of the plants and animals that live there - a wonderfully inventive way to introduce a young child to the 'plants and birds and rocks and things' you will find out there!

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. I was pleasantly surprised.

Mostly, we watch a tumbleweed tumble around - the author even gives it a name: Tumble. The words are like: Now Tumble gets stuck; now Tumble is blowing around; now Tumble is stuck.

Yeah, it seems kind of lame. But the real story is in the pictures. It is a story of life in the Chihuahuan Desert. Yes, the tumbleweed is one form of life, but we see all sorts of different animals in their habitat, and it is absolutely beautiful.

[Ellon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars (I loved it)

I never thought I'd be so into a book about tumbleweeds!

I learned more about this plant and other things that live in a desert climate. The illustrations are gorgeous and the text is simple yet powerful.
The backmatter has pictures of all the living things found throughout the book and encourages readers to go back to find them all (like a where's waldo type thing). Love love love!

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprising book about tumbleweeds. The text is simple, very reminiscent of April Pulley Sayre's nonfiction with photos. The bright and colorful illustrations follow a tumbleweed through its journey from dried up to growing and blooming, to dried up and on the move again.

A short afterward invites readers to go back and find a selection of animals, and offers up some more facts about tumbleweeds.

[Camille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very simple picture book about the tumble weed moving about the desert. I really enjoyed the illustrations. The tumble weed is a stencil, I think. Great color choices.
My mom recently pointed out a bush as we walked along near the Antonovich Trail in LA County: “Uh oh. That’s going to be a tumble weed.” So I’ve seen the pretty little bush that will soon blow across the freeway and hopefully not cause a hazard!

[Mónica Mancillas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the simple elegance of rhyme and colorful illustration, Adriana Hernández Bergstrom does a beautiful job of teaching young readers about the surprising lifespan of a tumble weed! I truly enjoyed both the story and the educational back matter, which would make any kid want to learn more. This is one of those books your young ones will ask to read again and again.

[Gabriella Aldeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that kids will love to read over and over again. Fortunately, parents will too! The words are lyrical and sparse, much like the desert itself. And the little tumbleweed is full of life. This book about a tumbleweed's journey across the desert contains rich illustrations, interesting facts, and, yes, an adorable tumbleweed.

[Helen Wu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rollicking and rhyming story with vibrant engaging illustrations, “Tumble” follows a tumbleweed through its life-cycle with other plants and animals in the wide world. It provides a fun and new perspective for readers to learn about this plant, with an informative back matter about the plants and the ecosystem. Highly recommended to add this wonderful book to any book collection!!

[Lindsey Hilliard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tumble is sweetly simplistic and will have your little readers in awe page after page. It’s beautifully illustrated and will surely become a staple at bedtime. Tumble also doubles as a science lesson with the author’s breakdown of the tumbleweed lifecycle and page dedicated to identifying all the plants and animals Tumble meets along its journey.

[June Smalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deceptively simple, Tumble rolls though a shockingly lively desert. It follows the life cycle of a tumbleweed and you get to see birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, and other plant life.
The vibrant colors and art style bring this often dry plant to life. Very impressive.
There is a bit of nonfiction backmatter and a "Spot the Animal" spread that makes you reread with eyes wide open.

[Gloria Amescua · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect rhyming book for young readers or adults to read to youngsters. The beautiful illustrations and the short rhythmic sentences tell the story of the life cycle of the tumbleweed. The southwest setting and all the plant and animal life come to life. There is a seek and find activity that’s great fun and more information.

[Jamie Ofelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tumble is the perfect book for teaching about plant life cycles! My kiddo and I have surely read a million books about apple trees, but until I read Tumble, I had no idea how tumbleweeds grow and reproduce. With simple rhyming text and gorgeous illustrations of the tumbleweed's desert ecosystem, this book will educate, entertain, and surprise you and your little reader!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great title for those east of the Mississippi who have not seen tumbleweed. Illustrations give one the tumbling movement feeling. Liked that there were two pages of the animals and plant life at the end of the story so one could check to see if one had seen all of them. Sparse text is very appropriate for this title and subject.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellently educational about lots of the life of the US southwest & region. Includes back matter. But doesn't mention that they're invasive, bad for farmers, and dangerous to travelers. Still, a good book for the littles who should be learning about javelinas, burrowing owls, yellow sulphur butterflies, etc.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as an adult reader for the AR Diamond Book Award. This book has two words on almost every other page. Super simple read and a nice little lesson about tumbleweeds. Who knew they are kind of interesting after all. Nice illustrations that even feature a "look & find" at the end for animals, plants, and trees that were hidden throughout the book.

[Lynnor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful colorful illustrations with perfect easy words to read over and over again with kids. There are so many animals to look for within the book which is great for interacting with the reader. Dynamic and a possible ode to Eric Carle's style, this is a wonderful read for story time.