Trouble for Trumpets [Hardcover]

Peter Dallas-Smith (Author), Peter Cross (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 12, 1984

Just as the Trumpets, summer creatures who live in a world of warmth and sunshine, prepare to hibernate, the Grumpets, winter creatures who live in the dark, frozen mountains of the north, prepare to take over their land.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fanciful creatures called Trumpets are besieged by their sworn enemies, the Grumpets in this lavishly illustrated allegory of war and peace.Ages 8-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Random House; First Edition edition (July 12, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394865138
• ISBN-13: 978-0394865133
• Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 10.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,203,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trouble in Trumpet City, November 28, 2005

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TROUBLE FOR TRUMPETS (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

The English cultivate a talent that we Americans, for all our inherent charms, lack. Consider for a moment the picture books of artists like Graeme Base or Peter Cross. In both their works, lush full-color illustrations are filled to overflowing with hidden details, small clues, and minor hilarities on almost every page. Of course, for all Base's charms, he can't hold a candle to Cross's work on the "Trumpets" series. I've never run across a picture book, no matter how beautifully illustrated, that sported the illustrator's name before the author's on the book's cover. "Trouble For Trumpets" is the first I've seen to do this, and deservedly so. Fairly reeking of its own Englishness, the story tells of a battle between good and evil in a fairly Redwallian manner. It's not for the plot that you'll be reading this book, however, but for the journey that takes you through its pages.

Podd welcomes you right from the start. He's a Trumpet, which is to say that he's a rather adorable creature that enjoy the summers and hibernates during the winters. Trumpets have a well-organized society and must continually protect themselves from the opposing Grumpet army. Grumpets are like Trumpets but they prefer the cold and dark and are intent on conquering the Trumpet land. In this particular tale, Podd and his friend Livingstone are on a bit of a vacation when they come across a Grumpet submarine. While the rest of the Trumpets are traipsing off to hibernate, Podd is intent on discovering what the Grumpets are up to. He spies on them and is captured rather quickly before he can ascertain the nature of the Grumpet "secret weapon". Fortunately, Podd is able to make a daring escape, warn the Trumpet army, and participate in a truly epic battle between Trumpet and Grumpet forces. In the end, the Trumpets win and Podd is allowed a much-deserved nap of his own.

The story, such as it is, is nothing much to crow about. Traces of "The Borrowers", "Redwall", and "Brambly Hedge" come to mind in its narrative. None of this is to say that the story is poorly written. I'm just pointing out that the real winner here is illustrator Peter Cross. I spent literally half an hour inspecting as many little tiny details as I could in a single picture, and I probably haven't even scratched the surface of what there is to find here. Cross makes references to Magritte and M.C. Escher, places little numbers all over the pictures with a corresponding key at the bottom of large color spreads, and is shockingly accurate when it comes to the flora and fauna of the British countryside. Mice, birds, insects, and reptiles are rendered completely realistically here. You can make out every little feather on his English Robin's breast and for some it will come as no surprise that starlings are the birds most used by Grumpets. And just in case you're feeling particularly in need of entertainment, Cross has hidden 22 faces amongst his illustrations throughout the book, as well as including a Grumpet alphabet for translating secret messages. Whew!

It's very sad to say, but the nearest American equivalent to Cross's work would have to be Martin Handford's, "Where's Waldo" books. And like "Waldo", I'm more than certain that if the "Trumpets" series achieved the same level of popularity, it would be banned just as quickly for the same reasons. Do you remember when some overly protective parent got "Waldo" banned because in one of the pictures featured a woman leaping out of her bikini top? Well, should a reissue of "Trouble For Trumpets" ever come to America's muddle-headed attention, the two pictures of topless female Trumpets (they're pin-ups and not grotesque or even particularly noticeable) would undoubtedly turn a few heads. By the way, don't go picking up this book if you're looking for strong female characters. The only gals you're going to find here are nurses, mothers, ladies on the wireless (tip o' the hat to World War II), and little girls. No fighters nor independent gals. We're talking 1940s roles for women. So eschew the book if you don't dig the archaic use of ladies.

I've hardly scratched the surface of what there is to find in this book. If you look at the cover you'll see references to future illustrations, a ladybug processional, Celtic Trumpets, machines to bowl over Rube Goldberg.... the list goes on and on. Undoubtedly some people will claim that the "Trumpet" series is too British for Americans. I disagree. If Alfred A. Knopf will do Mr. Cross the honor of republishing this title, I think we might all be pleasantly surprised by the reception it receives. In case that never happens though, let's just enjoy the book for what it is. A rousing gem to be treasured by those few who know about it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great. The best I have ever read. Must read!!!!!!!!!! :-), December 5, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: TROUBLE FOR TRUMPETS (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

I think that I will always enjoy this book and I really like it. I'm tweleve and I liked it the first time I read it. I think that this book should get some kind of reward. Like well..."The Best Book Of The Century". I think that everyone should read it. I think that little kids would really like it. I know that I did when I was alittle kid. I liked how the illistrater made such cool pictures.I mean that the pictures where really detailed. William Kenny

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Kids LOVED This Book-- And I Loved Reading It To Them, February 2, 2006

By 

Chris Ward (Costa Rica) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: TROUBLE FOR TRUMPETS (Dragonfly Books) (Paperback)

NEW EDITION, PLEASE!! Why are great kids' books like this allowed to fall out of print? All of my kids spent hours pouring over every page of this thing, seeking all the exciting little details that were hidden in the illustrations. The story is fun, the illustrations ravishing-- it's a joy to read to a 4 or 5 or 6-year-old, and older kids will enjoy reading it themselves. Seeing the prices on available copies, I'd better hang onto our tattered copy for eventual grand-kids....