Humperdink

This is a sweet picture book perfect for pre-schoolers because that’s where it is set. A little elephant has joined a pre-school and obviously wants to join in with all the fun. The book explains how their play works, then the Humperdink the elephants joins pre-school and their play becomes a bit tricky. He can’t really do the things they can and when he does it all goes a bit wrong: ‘His big bottom squashed Ryan’s favourite hat.’ for example.  However the children decide to go with the things Humperdink likes to do and they enter his world which is full of even more adventure.
 
Claire Alexander’s illustrations lend a whimsical feel to the book as they have a sketchy style which gives lovely movement to the pages. The scenes perfectly capture life inside a pre-school setting with lots of different activities like painting, dressing up, building blocks so there are lots of recognisable elements for young children to identify with. Language is simple and perfect for reading aloud with a younger child and definitely for sharing in a pre-school setting. It’s also a good one for helping small children understand it’s important to include everybody and explore everybody’s interests.