About the Holiday

There is no better time to feature Tedd Arnold than during Picture Book Month! Tedd Arnold has published over 50 books as both writer and illustrator! His themes range from houses crashing down, to little girls turning into frogs, to his beloved character Fly Guy. No matter which book you choose you can rest assured that you will be pulled into a world full of action, adventure, and things flying through the air! And No Jumping on the Bed! has become such a classic that the book got an illustrative update for it’s 25th anniversary. Whether you love new look or are a fan of the original, No Jumping on the Bed! makes for a perfect bedtime story time.

Review by Amanda Leemis

No Jumping on the Bed!

Written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold

 

Meet Walter. He loves jumping on his bed. Walter’s father has told him a million times not to jump on the bed. As Walter closes his eyes in his darkened bedroom, he can hear a “thump, thump, thump” from the apartment upstairs. Suddenly, he just can’t resist! “If Delbert can jump on his bed, so can I!” declares Walter. This is when something very unexpected happens. Walter’s feet firmly hit the bed and the entire floor cracks beneath him. Walter, his stuffed puppy dog, and all of his things crash right through the floor.

Copyright Tedd Arnold, 1987, courtesy of Pearson Early Learning Group. | Copyright Tedd Arnold, 2012, courtesy of Dial Books.

You may think the story ends here as Walter crashes into the apartment beneath and lands in Miss Hattie’s spaghetti, but the apartment building is large and Walter lives in a floor way up high. So, instead of apologizing to Miss Hattie for landing her her spaghetti dinner, they both crash through the next floor and pick up Mr. Matty and his TV. Mr. Matty is shocked as ever to see two people crash through his ceiling and soon he becomes a crasher too, crashing into Aunt Batty’s apartment. Walter tumbles through a box of stamps and into the next apartment along with everyone else where he destroys a beautiful block castle.

Copyright Tedd Arnold, 1987, courtesy of Pearson Early Learning Group. | Copyright Tedd Arnold, 2012, courtesy of Dial Books.

Walter picks up a fluffy cat named Fatty Cat along the way and his tumbling continues down through a painter’s apartment where everyone is splattered by buckets of paint! Down, down, down, they fall covered in green, yellow, and blue paint! “Walter, Miss Hattie, Mr. Matty, Aunt Batty, Patty, and Natty, Mr. Hanratty, Fatty Cat, seventeen cans of paint, the stamps, the TV, the spaghetti, the bed, and all.”

The final apartment is that of Maestro Ferlingatti and his musicians. Spaghetti and paint flies onto the musicians’ heads! His practice room floor is also the basement ceiling and Walter squeezes his eyes shut as he tumbles through the darkness back onto a soft mound of blankets.

Walter opens his eyes and finds himself safe and sound in his bed. Now, reader, you must be thinking that this was all just a dream, but that’s when Walter hears a creak. He looks up, and Delbert comes crashing though Walter’s ceiling, bed and all.

Tedd Arnold’s illustrations, full of vibrant colors, energy, and movement, will make you want to hold on tightly to the edges of your own bed for fear you may be the next crasher! The repetition may temp your little ones to read along and name all of the people and things that are tumbling through the building. This story is great for bedtime and provides an interesting thought to ponder as you drift off to sleep – was Walter dreaming, or is there really a structural problem with the building? Which apartment would you like to crash through next?

Ages 4-6

Dial Books for Young Readers, 1987, ISBN | 0-8037-0038-5

About Amanda Leemis

Amanda Leemis is a model, artist, and creator of The Hollydog Blog! She is passionate about encouraging our littlest humans to read! With two books published in the “My Hollydog” series, she loves illustration and uses her skills to create printable worksheets for ages 2-5. Creating resources that build fine motor skills and boost creativity is her passion.

Amanda Leemis is the illustrator of My Hollydog and My Hollydog Rides in the Car. Her mother Charise Leemis is the author! The “My Hollydog” series is written specifically for ages 2-3. With one sentence per page, little ones will stay engaged and keep focused on the vibrant illustrations. Come along with Hollydog on an adventure! Whether it’s hanging her head out the window or jumping into a pile of leaves, Hollydog loves her humans more than anything in the world!

Tedd Tuesday Activity

No Jumping on the Bed Word Search

 

Print your No Jumping on the Bed! Word Search to find all 10 hidden words! All the words are names of things that went crashing right through the floor!

You can find No Jumping on the Bed! at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million (Hardcover, 2012 | Paperback, 1987)

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop (Hardcover, 2012 | Paperback, 1987) | IndieBound

Picture Book Review