After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again)
Ages 4 to 8Listed among picture books about courage and facing fears. The blogger describes Humpty’s paper-airplane plan and the wall he has to face.
Recommended by Imagination Soup
Ages 4 to 7Tell the Truth, Pangolin
Ages 4 to 7About this age guidance
Kirkus: 4–7
The age tag follows Kirkus review. Other sources may suggest different ages. This is audience guidance, not an independent reading level.
Recommended as a story about resisting the temptation to lie.
A broken royal swing sends an anxious pangolin in search of advice. Friends offer fixes and increasingly far-fetched stories. He ultimately tells the queen what happened instead of adopting their excuses.
Recommended by Happily Ever Elephants
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What children see in the story
Pangolin admits the damage to a friend and later tells the person whose swing broke. He hears proposed excuses but chooses a truthful account for himself. He brings the problem to friends and seeks advice across several encounters. The story also shows that offered advice still needs judgment.
Why it’s on these shelves
- Honesty
- Pangolin breaks the queen’s swing and is afraid to tell her. He tells Badger first, then faces the queen and tells her the truth, and she takes it well.
- Independent thinking
- Pangolin’s friends suggest fixes and false explanations, including a story about aliens. He listens, then chooses to tell the queen what really happened.
- Asking for help
- Pangolin takes the broken swing to Badger and other friends and asks what to do. Some of the advice is implausible, so he still has to decide for himself.
Why pick it up?
The queen receives an honest explanation; the summaries do not establish every detail of her reply.
A note for parents
False explanations are proposed, but the protagonist does not carry them out. Choosing truth after weighing advice supplies the central model.
Where this recommendation comes from
Happily Ever Elephants
Recommended as a story about resisting the temptation to lie.
Read Lauren Bercuson’s recommendationSources and review status
We have checked source descriptions and drafted the value mapping. We have not personally reviewed the full book. The value labels, situation assignments, and parent notes remain provisional.
Publisher or literacy resource · Original recommendation
Our explanation of the value fit is separate from the original reviewer’s judgment. Their inclusion here does not imply an endorsement of Stories for Growing.
Another good example
Browse more values
Scaredy Squirrel
Ages 4 to 8Called a classic picture book about fear. The parent says children will laugh at his over-preparation and cheer when he finally leaves the tree.
Recommended by What Do We Do All Day?