Humpfree the Humpless Camel Review

Humpfree The Humpless Camel!  Tristan has been looking forward to this book!   Julia Dweck wrote this after learning about the rare Flatback Highland Humpless in East Africa.  Believe it, it’s true!

Now Humpfree Camel had no humps.

His back was free of any lumps.

While others had one bump or two,

Just where were Humpfree’s?  No one knew.

After one read of this e-book Tristan was able to tell his Daddy all about it and hardly left out a page. The following is Tristan’s retelling of Humpfree, The Humpless Camel:

A flat backed camel is a camel with a flat back.  Humpfree found two balloons, “Could these be my humps?” he said and straps them on.

 Then he flies up.  A bird pops both the balloons and he drops down. He fills up bags with sand and ties them tight and he runs and sweats.

There are rocks and he holds them and might under the strain break his back.

Feathers were dropping down on him like a crown and he straps them on.  Tickle, tickle, tickle!  He’s sinking in the feathers and they were tickling him.

Two porcupines came over and he said, “You’ll make good humps and my back will make a good soft bed”.  There’s a bobcat in the tree.  Humpfree is moaning.

There was a broken sign he was looking at.  “Why do I have no humps?” he moaned.  He felt a pat.  Beside him was a chap.  The chap said that’s not right.  Humpfree said “I know I’m humpless”, he moans.  The flat backed camel is very rare.  The other camels are here.  It is the way he’s meant to be.

Humpfree is s fun rhyming book that holds my children’s attention very well.  The tale of Humpfree starts off quite sad because Humpfree’s back is flat, unlike other camel’s backs.  He wants to be like all of the other camels and searches high and low to find himself some humps.  He tries several things, but without success.  Just as Humpfree reaches his lowest point he’s found and by a man who has been searching for a Flatback camel.  This man lets Humpfree know that he is special and valued for being just who he is and Humpfree can now live a happy life once again  This tale’s moral is important:  don’t wish to be what you aren’t, take ride in what you are . Don’t spend your life wishing and dreaming to be someone else as that isn’t you.  use what you have and celebrate your own uniqueness.  

As always with Julia, there are some interesting camel facts at the back of this book.  Let this be a warning to you: never aggravate a camel or you will be sorry!

Tristan says it all with: “How does Julia Dweck make all these books?!  She just gets them in her head.  She writes them and somebody else makes the pictures.”

This book was illustrated by Young-Min Yoon whose smooth lines and simple caricaturistic style suits the mood of this book.

As you will see with our 7 Creative Camel activities, this book really inspired my children to be creative with all things ‘Camel’.  Tristan is now fascinated by the flat-backed camel and one and two-humped camels just won’t do for him!  With every activity he’s done over the past two weeks, he’s insisted on having a flat-backed camel.

You can purchase this book here.

Tristan has given this book 5 stars.

If you love Julia Dweck, be sure to connect with her through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or her own Website. And don’t forget to check out our other reviews of these Julia Dweck books:

• Where Are The Dinos?
• Blucy, The Blue Cat.
• Mary Had A Sleepy Sheep.
• Pie-Rits, A Pirate Adventure.