Have you met Dimity? She is the sister of Humpty - you do know him! He is the star of that famous rhyme but what of his sister? I do have a small Pinterest of Humpty Dumpty books if you want to explore this theme. But for now we will focus on Dimity.
"Dimity Dumpty was born by the roadside. She cried a small note in perfect tune with a blackbird singing outside her window. 'It's a girl!' cried her mum and dad, overjoyed. Humphrey did a cartwheel and two double twists."
The Dumpty family are part of a travelling circus. Their act is called The Tumbling Dumpties. Dad is the Great Dominic Dumpty and Mum is Dorothy Dumpty. They perform each evening with Humpty in the big top in a daring high wire trapeze act but Dimity prefers to stay out of the limelight.
Humpty, though, is a tear-away. Dimity advises him against drawing graffiti on the walls of the family caravan but, even though his parents are furious, the next day he repeats his misdeed and writes his name in huge letters on the wall outside a factory. Humpty has climbed high up the wall to spray his name and, as you know, he then falls.
"Far away, on the other side of the circus, dimity heard a tremor in the wind and felt a flutter right down deep in her little shell. ... Dimity stopped. Her hands went to her face. She took a deep breath then removed her t-shirt and bandaged Humpty's leakage."
But Humpty needs more help so Dimity runs, as fast as she can, to the circus. She enters the Big Top where the show is in progress and, in a moment of true bravery, she shouts - "My brother has taken a tumble and needs help!". You just have to read this loudly and one word at a time with a breathless voice.
Humpty is safely transported to hospital where he recovers but more importantly Dimity has changed. She has no desire to perform in the show but she now feels confident to play her beautiful flute music around the circus grounds and not just softly in hidden places.
"The high notes fly like swifts on a summer's morning and the low notes whisper like the wind in the pine trees."
Let's take a closer look at the covers - front and back. Dimity is quietly playing her flute (made from the inside part of a pen) while some tiny creatures pause to listen. In the background you can see the circus big top and other vehicles. Bob Graham loves blackberry bushes. You will find them in other books such as Home in the Rain. On the back cover you need to look a little more closely. The tiny figure of Humpty can be seen and he has climbed the wall outside an industrial building. A little spray can is on the wall beside him.
On the preface page Bob Graham has drawn the Dumpty's egg carton home. We can look right inside because the roof (lid) is open. Dimity has just been born and Humpty is doing a head stand on the bed.
The writing and the art are equally exquisite. Kirkus Star review
I have been collecting picture books to share each day this month - November is Picture Book Month - and I realised I have not talked in detail about Dimity Dumpty which is one of (there are many) my favourite Bob Graham books.
Dimity Dumpty was first published in 2006 and I am so sad to see that is it now out of print. I am sure you will find a copy in a school or public library here in Australia. I do hope you can find this book and then, more importantly, I hope you can share it with a young child. This is one of those precious books that works best when you and your young reading companion can sit side by side so you can discover all the tiny, heart-warming details in the illustrations.
