Meet KLUMPITY - HOP The Three-Legged Turtle From the Wonderful World of Kulalahuloo

KLUMPITY - HOP

The Three-Legged Turtle 

Have you ever been to Kulalabuloo…. ? 

Where the flowers seem to blossom the whole year through 

Where the sun keeps on shining when the rain starts to fall 

And where nobody has any worries at all ? 

Well - I've been there - and the tales I could tell 

Of the wonderful creatures I once knew so well …

There's the Gold One - a lion who only eats

 fruits, walnuts and berries and succulent roots. 

There's Trubbledidi, the Chimpanzee, 

Blog, the frog and the One-Eyed flea, 

And so many more that I can recall It would take me

a lifetime to write of them all. 

But I must tell you the story of Klumpity-Hop 

The three-legged tortoise who just couldn't stop 

Dancing the waltz. It was easy, you see - 

He didn't have four legs - he only had three

I first met this tortoise - when wandering alone - ! 

stumbled over what I thought was a stone. 

With a grunt and a whistle, he poked out his head 

And I really can't tell you the things that he said.

He was terribly angry - as well he might be 

So I really don't blame him for shouting at me. 

But, after a while, I'm happy to tell, 

His temper subsided as I polished his shell...

~~~

KLUMPITY - HOP

The Three-Legged Turtle 

By Susan Colquhoun

Kulalabuloo African Stories for children Book 1

This is the first time I've started out a review to highlight the difficult time I had in finding this book...after my initial purchase via a link about the book... First, what will readers call it? By the series name, which is not on the book covers? By the specific subtitle, which, for this book, was not even on the cover...or by the entire title:subtitle. It seemed to me to attempt to use the same front cover for the book needs to be made easier for new readers... At a minimum, the series title should be in small letters on the cover...and for this particular book, it needs to be differentiated by subtitle, as are the rest of the now available books... To explain my point, when I went back to write my review, I did not get the right book, because I didn't know the subtitle... This is a note to parents who will need to ensure which exact book they will purchase. For the children, they'll just have to find this first book about Klumptity-Hop...someway...

On the other hand, I really do believe the book is wonderful. I wish I could have gotten permission to use a couple of internal pictures...but I couldn't verify the author, since there were multiple persons with the name and no reference to the books on sites I found... 

On the very first page, we read...

Come ! Sing along to Kulalabuloo ! ‘Blog’ the frog - From a later story

Ah, excuse me...but why am I being asked to sing a song that I couldn't possibly know in this book???

But aside from the editing and technical issues of marketing the series...

A young boy, apparently, who is shown in pictures, but not named since the poetry is in first-person of that individual telling the story (another oversight in my opinion), has stumbled upon Klumpity-Hop, while he was out walking in Kulalahuloo. In getting to know each other, Klumpity-Hop reveals that he is looking for a partner with whom he could waltz (something he loves to do) and for possibly a longer relationship...

Hmmm, I was going to tell you a little more, but I find that the problems outweigh my ability to recommend this book at this time...Sorry to say... Here's hoping that the author gets help in getting her wonderful stories into a better, edited format...


GABixlerReviews


Susan Colquhoun was born in Lincoln, England, but her family emigrated to Rhodesia - (now Zimbabwe) - in 1950. Sue spent the vast majority of her life in Africa, where she developed a deep affinity for - and knowledge of - Africa’s mysterious presence. This becomes readily apparent when you read her lovely verses and see her delightful illustrations in these magical ‘Kulalabuloo’ tales. These stories were written and illustrated many years ago and only after Sue’s return to the United Kingdom in 2010, was she finally persuaded to share them. computers and i-pads and things, and we used to read bedtime stories to our children. My mother used to say to me - as she settled me on her knee - ‘Snuggle close and listen to my heartbeat as I tell you a story.’ That memory made me want to write stories to the beat of MY heart. Through the use of rhyme and rhythm, I hope I have achieved that ambition…..” Susan has lived a very exciting life about which she is modestly reticent, but she is now retired near Chichester, where she is closer to her beloved children.