No Jumping on the Bed! facts for kids
No Jumping on the Bed! is a fun children's book created by Tedd Arnold. He wrote and drew all the pictures for it! This book came out in 1987. It was the very first children's book Tedd Arnold ever made.
The book won some cool awards. It got the Children's Choice Award in 1988. It also won the Georgia Children's Picture Storybook Award in 1990. And in 1992, it won the Volunteer State Book Award. The story is for kids aged 4-7. It's written in a funny rhyming way, a bit like books by Dr. Seuss. Tedd Arnold says Dr. Seuss really inspired him.
The story is about a boy named Walter. His dad tells him not to jump on his bed. But Walter has a wild dream! In his dream, he jumps anyway. Then, he and his bed fall through all seven floors of his apartment building. Everyone on the floors below joins the crazy fall!
Story Summary: What Happens?
Walter's dad sees him jumping on his bed. His dad has told him "a zillion times" not to jump. Before turning off the lights, his dad warns him again. "One day," his dad says, "your bed will crash through the floor!" Walter asks for just one more jump. But he decides to be good and goes to sleep instead.
Walter tries to sleep. Then he hears his friend Delbert jumping on the bed upstairs! Walter tries to obey his dad. But he thinks, "If Delbert can jump, so can I!" So Walter decides to have just one more jump.
But he keeps jumping higher and higher! His hair even touches the ceiling. After too many jumps, the floor starts to crack. Walter and his bed fall down! They land in Ms. Mabel Hattie's dining room. Walter splashes right into her plate of spaghetti and meatballs! Ms. Hattie is surprised to find him there.
Walter and his bed keep falling. Ms. Mabel Hattie and the spaghetti fall with them. They land in Mr. Matty's TV room. He is watching dinosaurs on TV. Ms. Mabel Hattie lands on Mr. Matty's lap. Walter lands in his fish tank! Walter wanted to watch the dinosaurs. But his bed crashes through the floor, taking the TV too.
Next, the group falls into Walter's Aunt Batty's room. Aunt Batty is still unpacking her things. She sees her nephew crashing through her ceiling! Aunt Batty's stamp collection gets scattered everywhere. Aunt Batty and her stamps join the falling group.
They fall into the next apartment. They knock over a castle of toy blocks that Patty and Natty built. Patty, Natty, and their cat Fatty join the group. They all fall into Mr. Hanratty's apartment. He is painting a picture at his easel.
Now, Walter, Ms. Mabel Hattie, Mr. Matty, Aunt Batty, Patty and Natty, Mr. Hanratty, the cat, the paint, the spaghetti, the TV (with dinosaurs), the fish, and toys all fall. They land in Maestro Ferlingatti's concert room. He and his string quartet are practicing music. They also join the tumbling crowd.
Everyone ends up safely in the dark, quiet basement. Then, everyone except Walter and his bed magically disappears. Walter is back in his own bedroom! He realizes it was all a dream.
Walter hears his parents talking. He promises himself he will never jump on his bed again. He hopes Delbert learns his lesson too. Walter finally settles down for the night. But then, he hears Delbert jumping on his bed again! Delbert and his bed crash through Walter's ceiling. Delbert tumbles into Walter's room. It seems the same crazy things might happen to Delbert now!
Meet the Characters
Here are the characters in the story, in the order they appear:
- Walter
- Walter's father
- Ms. Mabel Hattie
- Mr. Matty
- Aunt Batty
- Patty and Natty and their cat Fatty
- Mr. Hanratty
- Maestro Ferlingatti
- Delbert, Walter's friend
How the Story Was Made
Tedd Arnold got the idea for this book when his family moved. They moved from Florida to an old apartment building in Yonkers, New York. His son, Walter, was four years old. Walter loved jumping on his bed!
Tedd Arnold said, "Walter's bedroom floor was someone else's ceiling!" Living in an apartment building was new to him. People lived upstairs and downstairs. These new experiences made him think of the story. His frequent warning to his son, "No jumping on the bed!", became the book's title.
Book Information
The original English book was published in 1987.
- Tedd Arnold, No Jumping on the Bed!, New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1987. Illustrated by Tedd Arnold, 32 pages. ISBN: 0-8037-0038-5
There is also a Spanish language version:
- Tedd Arnold, No Se Salta en la Cama!, (translated by Osvaldo Blanco), New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, Penguin Ediciones, 1997. Illustrated by Tedd Arnold, 32 pages. ISBN: 0-8037-2068-8
Many other versions of the book have been printed since 1987. These include a board book for very young children.
