Where's Tumpty?: A Tilly and Friends Book - Hardcover

Polly Dunbar is the author-illustrator of DOG BLUE and PENGUIN (which was short-listed for a Kate Greenaway Medal) and the illustrator of SHOE BABY by Joyce Dunbar, HERE'S A LITTLE POEM by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters, and MY DAD'S A BIRDMAN by David Almond. She lives in Brighton, England.

PreSchool-Grade 1—After several unsuccessful attempts at hiding, Tumpty the elephant is able to trick his friends into thinking he has disappeared. They search the house high and low, and he finally appears after being enticed by cookies and declarations of concern. There are many amusing situations involving Tilly, a little girl, and her animal friends. The characters appear in the prologue in the yellow house they share and are introduced one by one in the following scenes. Not all of the action takes place in the foreground. There is a doorway in the top corner that the animals peek in and out of. It also serves as a foreshadowing device. Text is placed above the character that is speaking and is a larger size. The background consists of a variety of muted tones, which contrast with the brighter mixed-media drawings. The illustrations are whimsical and detailed. Most of the characters have rosy cheeks and wear different patterns, and their emotions are readily apparent. At one point, the pig laughs so hard he is crying, and the chicken falls on her back in a fit of giggles. Tumpty is comedic without realizing it. His antics are similar to those in Mo Willems's "Elephant & Piggie" series (Hyperion). Young children and beginning readers are sure to gravitate to this delightful story that celebrates the joy of friendship.—Lori A. Guenthner, Baltimore County Public Library, Randallstown, MD
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