posted on 02 Sep 2017

Clumpety Bump by Phil Allcock, illustrated by Richard Watson

I rather like the idea of a lazy horse because, after all, why shouldn't there be a range of personalities in the animal world? This big grey rather ungainly horse, Clumpety Bump isn't at all interested in the physical activities that we usually associate with horses but prefers to plod about all day eating apples.

His owner, Wally Wobblebottom, (let’s have a pause for the children’s inevitable giggles) is a very friendly chap who wants to help others. For instance, when he tries riding on the horse’s back to take some grapes to his sick neighbour, it ends badly and messily because Clumpety keeps stopping to eat the grass instead. Wally becomes increasingly cross when he then tries to take gifts of chocolates and jam to other neighbours and friends because the lazy horse will not co- operate at all and so he decides to try using his tractor instead. Still he has no luck as he isn’t a terribly good driver, gets stuck in a very muddy puddle and ends up falling in. It seems that he has to try horse riding yet again but at first Clumpety ignores him with a disdainful look. But he has a big heart and eventually he agrees to gallop without his usual stopping along the way so that Wally can take some flowers to his friend Ann Kacheef (giggles this time from the adults perhaps)! But the mishaps continue until Wally realises that man and horse need to work together in a more balanced relationship if both are going to be happy.  

Children will laugh out loud at this funny interactive picture book that provides plenty of opportunities for joining in with repetition of phrases like the horse’s weary refrain ‘I can’t be bothered’ and ‘Oh No!’ each time disaster strikes. ‘Slippity slop, don’t stop’ and ‘dribbly, wibbly water’ are just two examples of the plentiful and memorable onomatopoeia for readers to relish.  The illustrations are bold and colourful throughout showing the two of them crashing across the countryside with the stream running across from left to right on several pages providing yet more rhythm and repetition. The overall message of the story seems to be to gently encourage and give rewards rather than take an animal for granted – in this case plenty of the ‘ crunchiest, munchiest’ apples.

Karen Argent

September 2017