{"id":485901313,"title":"The Crown Affair","handle":"the-crown-affair","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/jeanie-franz-ransom\" title=\"Author Jeanie Franz Ransom\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/stephen-axelsen\" title=\"Illustrator Stephen Axelsen\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStephen Axelsen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"Looks like this case won’t be over easy.\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJack fell down and lost his crown . . . and Joe Dumpty, Private Investigator, is hot on the case to find it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMother Gooseland is buzzing with preparation for the upcoming Gooseland Games, and with the crown being first prize, Joe needs to crack the case before it’s too late. With his detective notebook in hand, Joe rolls through town questioning possible suspects. Will P.I. Joe be able to solve the case and return the prize crown before the games?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull of puns and references to classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales, this sequel to What REALLY Happened to Humpty? will entertain children and adults alike. Illustrations by Stephen Axelsen provide a hilarious and detailed accompaniment to the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/what-really-happened-to-humpty\"\u003eWhat Really Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/crown-affair-spread.jpg?18378603538474642151\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom has written several books for children, including \u003cem\u003eWhat Parents Do When You're Not Home\u003c\/em\u003e (Peachtree), \u003cem\u003eDon't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletales\u003c\/em\u003e (Magination Press), and \u003cem\u003eGrandma U\u003c\/em\u003e (Peachtree).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeanie sold her first story when she was seventeen to—where else?—\u003cem\u003eSeventeen\u003c\/em\u003e magazine. Since then, she's been an advertising copywriter, an editor and writer at a bed-and-breakfast travel magazine, and a freelance writer for numerous regional and national magazines. Along the way, she earned a master's degree in counseling and worked as an elementary school counselor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/jeanie-franz-ransom\" title=\"Author Jeanie Franz Ransom\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Jeanie Franz Ransom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephen Axelsen, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStephen Axelsen has illustrated numerous children's books, including \u003cem\u003eWhat Really Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVikings Maze Book\u003c\/em\u003e (Little Hare Books), and the Piccolo and Annabelle series (Oxford University Press), which he also wrote. He lives on the east coast of Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/stephen-axelsen\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Stephen Axelsen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eILA-CBC Children's Choices selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Jack and Jill fell down the hill, did Jack really lose his crown, or did someone make off with it? Detective Joe Dumpty, previously seen in 2009’s \u003cem\u003eWhat REALLY Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, is on the case in this witty companion book. Tipped off that a certain other nursery-rhyme Jack might be responsible for the crown’s disappearance, Joe sets out to interrogate suspects, and his noir-flavored narration is just as much fun this time around (“Between his bum foot and his scorched bottom, Jack wouldn’t have been nimble—or quick—enough to grab the crown this morning”). Axelsen’s illustrations are packed with humorous details and cleverly reimagined Mother Goose characters, and Ransom’s references to “test[ing] positive for magic beans,” among other gags, will amuse older readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNoir whodunit in the land of Mother Goose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Jack loses his crown after falling down that hill, who better to crack the case than hard-boiled Joe Dumpty, private eye? (Joe made his rep by solving the mystery surrounding his brother in \u003cem\u003eWhat REALLY Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, 2009.) Jill leaps over the yellow crime-scene tape to meet him at the hill. Jack's eyes look like pinwheels as he tells Joe what he remembers; dizzy Jill can't add much more. Spider goes over the crime scene with a fine-tooth comb...literally! Joe visits the Sprats, who are fighting; could it be about the crown? Jack B. Nimble is on crutches; he fell while practicing his candle-jumping. He's an unlikely suspect. And in the house that Jack built, \"Goldy\" describes a suspicious encounter with the Muffin Man. Joe grills this sailor-suited gourmand, who implicates yet another Jack, the one who went up the beanstalk. While Joe visits this sulky Jack, Spider takes a trip up the beanstalk to talk to the giant. Between them, they solve the crime, and just in time. Joe and Spider can tackle their next case: The cow has jumped over the moon and hasn't been seen since. The pun-packed yarn may go over the heads of younger readers, but their grown-ups will chuckle, and everyone will enjoy the impish twists on familiar images in Axelsen's Photoshop illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenuinely clever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/products\/crown-affair-cvr.jpg?v=1430167017\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/crown-affair-hires.zip?11040472974727526554\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-552-1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-757-6 EPUB\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-642-5 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 6-9\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 40\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 2. Standards 1, 3, 5, 7, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-04-27T16:45:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-04-27T16:24:19-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Humor","Browse by Subject_Nursery Rhymes \u0026 Songs","Browse by Subject_Story Time \u0026 Play"],"price":1695,"price_min":1695,"price_max":1695,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":1286305857,"title":"Hardcover","option1":"Hardcover","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"95521","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"The Crown Affair - Hardcover","public_title":"Hardcover","options":["Hardcover"],"price":1695,"weight":426,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":10,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-58089-552-1","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/crown-affair-cover.jpg?v=1586804310"],"featured_image":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/crown-affair-cover.jpg?v=1586804310","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"The Crown Affair cover image","id":5803676598351,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.778,"height":771,"width":600,"src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/crown-affair-cover.jpg?v=1586804310"},"aspect_ratio":0.778,"height":771,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/charlesbridgeteen.com\/cdn\/shop\/products\/crown-affair-cover.jpg?v=1586804310","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/jeanie-franz-ransom\" title=\"Author Jeanie Franz Ransom\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/stephen-axelsen\" title=\"Illustrator Stephen Axelsen\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eStephen Axelsen\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\"Looks like this case won’t be over easy.\"\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJack fell down and lost his crown . . . and Joe Dumpty, Private Investigator, is hot on the case to find it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMother Gooseland is buzzing with preparation for the upcoming Gooseland Games, and with the crown being first prize, Joe needs to crack the case before it’s too late. With his detective notebook in hand, Joe rolls through town questioning possible suspects. Will P.I. Joe be able to solve the case and return the prize crown before the games?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull of puns and references to classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales, this sequel to What REALLY Happened to Humpty? will entertain children and adults alike. Illustrations by Stephen Axelsen provide a hilarious and detailed accompaniment to the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/what-really-happened-to-humpty\"\u003eWhat Really Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/crown-affair-spread.jpg?18378603538474642151\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeanie Franz Ransom has written several books for children, including \u003cem\u003eWhat Parents Do When You're Not Home\u003c\/em\u003e (Peachtree), \u003cem\u003eDon't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletales\u003c\/em\u003e (Magination Press), and \u003cem\u003eGrandma U\u003c\/em\u003e (Peachtree).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJeanie sold her first story when she was seventeen to—where else?—\u003cem\u003eSeventeen\u003c\/em\u003e magazine. Since then, she's been an advertising copywriter, an editor and writer at a bed-and-breakfast travel magazine, and a freelance writer for numerous regional and national magazines. Along the way, she earned a master's degree in counseling and worked as an elementary school counselor.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/jeanie-franz-ransom\" title=\"Author Jeanie Franz Ransom\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Jeanie Franz Ransom.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStephen Axelsen, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStephen Axelsen has illustrated numerous children's books, including \u003cem\u003eWhat Really Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eVikings Maze Book\u003c\/em\u003e (Little Hare Books), and the Piccolo and Annabelle series (Oxford University Press), which he also wrote. He lives on the east coast of Australia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/pages\/stephen-axelsen\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Stephen Axelsen.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eILA-CBC Children's Choices selection\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/star-fade.gif?18127980511287865543\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Jack and Jill fell down the hill, did Jack really lose his crown, or did someone make off with it? Detective Joe Dumpty, previously seen in 2009’s \u003cem\u003eWhat REALLY Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, is on the case in this witty companion book. Tipped off that a certain other nursery-rhyme Jack might be responsible for the crown’s disappearance, Joe sets out to interrogate suspects, and his noir-flavored narration is just as much fun this time around (“Between his bum foot and his scorched bottom, Jack wouldn’t have been nimble—or quick—enough to grab the crown this morning”). Axelsen’s illustrations are packed with humorous details and cleverly reimagined Mother Goose characters, and Ransom’s references to “test[ing] positive for magic beans,” among other gags, will amuse older readers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNoir whodunit in the land of Mother Goose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Jack loses his crown after falling down that hill, who better to crack the case than hard-boiled Joe Dumpty, private eye? (Joe made his rep by solving the mystery surrounding his brother in \u003cem\u003eWhat REALLY Happened to Humpty?\u003c\/em\u003e, 2009.) Jill leaps over the yellow crime-scene tape to meet him at the hill. Jack's eyes look like pinwheels as he tells Joe what he remembers; dizzy Jill can't add much more. Spider goes over the crime scene with a fine-tooth comb...literally! Joe visits the Sprats, who are fighting; could it be about the crown? Jack B. Nimble is on crutches; he fell while practicing his candle-jumping. He's an unlikely suspect. And in the house that Jack built, \"Goldy\" describes a suspicious encounter with the Muffin Man. Joe grills this sailor-suited gourmand, who implicates yet another Jack, the one who went up the beanstalk. While Joe visits this sulky Jack, Spider takes a trip up the beanstalk to talk to the giant. Between them, they solve the crime, and just in time. Joe and Spider can tackle their next case: The cow has jumped over the moon and hasn't been seen since. The pun-packed yarn may go over the heads of younger readers, but their grown-ups will chuckle, and everyone will enjoy the impish twists on familiar images in Axelsen's Photoshop illustrations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenuinely clever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/products\/crown-affair-cvr.jpg?v=1430167017\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/crown-affair-hires.zip?11040472974727526554\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardcover\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-58089-552-1\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eE-book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-757-6 EPUB\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-642-5 PDF\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 6-9\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 40\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCorrelated to Common Core State Standards:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 10\u003cbr\u003eEnglish Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 2. Standards 1, 3, 5, 7, 10\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

The Crown Affair

By: Jeanie Franz Ransom / Illustrated by: Stephen Axelsen

"Looks like this case won’t be over easy."

Jack fell down and lost his crown . . . and Joe Dumpty, Private Investigator, is hot on the case to find it.

Mother Gooseland is buzzing with preparation for the upcoming Gooseland Games, and with the crown being first prize, Joe needs to crack the case before it’s too late. With his detective notebook in hand, Joe rolls through town questioning possible suspects. Will P.I. Joe be able to solve the case and return the prize crown before the games?

Full of puns and references to classic nursery rhymes and fairy tales, this sequel to What REALLY Happened to Humpty? will entertain children and adults alike. Illustrations by Stephen Axelsen provide a hilarious and detailed accompaniment to the story.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Jeanie Franz Ransom, author

Jeanie Franz Ransom has written several books for children, including What Parents Do When You're Not Home (Peachtree), Don't Squeal Unless It's a Big Deal: A Tale of Tattletales (Magination Press), and Grandma U (Peachtree).

Jeanie sold her first story when she was seventeen to—where else?—Seventeen magazine. Since then, she's been an advertising copywriter, an editor and writer at a bed-and-breakfast travel magazine, and a freelance writer for numerous regional and national magazines. Along the way, she earned a master's degree in counseling and worked as an elementary school counselor.

Read more about Jeanie Franz Ransom.


Stephen Axelsen, illustrator

Stephen Axelsen has illustrated numerous children's books, including What Really Happened to Humpty?, Vikings Maze Book (Little Hare Books), and the Piccolo and Annabelle series (Oxford University Press), which he also wrote. He lives on the east coast of Australia.

Read more about Stephen Axelsen.

  • ILA-CBC Children's Choices selection

Publishers Weekly, starred review

When Jack and Jill fell down the hill, did Jack really lose his crown, or did someone make off with it? Detective Joe Dumpty, previously seen in 2009’s What REALLY Happened to Humpty?, is on the case in this witty companion book. Tipped off that a certain other nursery-rhyme Jack might be responsible for the crown’s disappearance, Joe sets out to interrogate suspects, and his noir-flavored narration is just as much fun this time around (“Between his bum foot and his scorched bottom, Jack wouldn’t have been nimble—or quick—enough to grab the crown this morning”). Axelsen’s illustrations are packed with humorous details and cleverly reimagined Mother Goose characters, and Ransom’s references to “test[ing] positive for magic beans,” among other gags, will amuse older readers.

Kirkus Reviews

Noir whodunit in the land of Mother Goose.

When Jack loses his crown after falling down that hill, who better to crack the case than hard-boiled Joe Dumpty, private eye? (Joe made his rep by solving the mystery surrounding his brother in What REALLY Happened to Humpty?, 2009.) Jill leaps over the yellow crime-scene tape to meet him at the hill. Jack's eyes look like pinwheels as he tells Joe what he remembers; dizzy Jill can't add much more. Spider goes over the crime scene with a fine-tooth comb...literally! Joe visits the Sprats, who are fighting; could it be about the crown? Jack B. Nimble is on crutches; he fell while practicing his candle-jumping. He's an unlikely suspect. And in the house that Jack built, "Goldy" describes a suspicious encounter with the Muffin Man. Joe grills this sailor-suited gourmand, who implicates yet another Jack, the one who went up the beanstalk. While Joe visits this sulky Jack, Spider takes a trip up the beanstalk to talk to the giant. Between them, they solve the crime, and just in time. Joe and Spider can tackle their next case: The cow has jumped over the moon and hasn't been seen since. The pun-packed yarn may go over the heads of younger readers, but their grown-ups will chuckle, and everyone will enjoy the impish twists on familiar images in Axelsen's Photoshop illustrations.

Genuinely clever.

Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-58089-552-1

E-book
ISBN: 978-1-60734-757-6 EPUB
ISBN: 978-1-60734-642-5 PDF

Ages: 6-9
Page count: 40

Correlated to Common Core State Standards:
English Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 1. Standards 1-4, 6, 7, 10
English Language Arts-Literacy. Reading Literature. Grade 2. Standards 1, 3, 5, 7, 10