The Jolly Pocket Postman

The Jolly Postman

by Janet Ahlberg (Illustrator), Allan Ahlberg, Janet Ahlber

Everyone's favorite postman finds himself in Alice's Wonderland, knee-high to a Mad Hatter, but nothing can stop the Jolly Postman from completing his mail route as he travels through the Emerald City with Dorothy and other fairy-tale favorites.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Kids, Young Adult

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 1995

About the author

Janet Ahlberg (1944-1994) was a British children's book illustrator, and the co-creator, together with her husband Allan Ahlberg, of the best-selling Jolly Postman series. Born as Janet Hall in Yorkshire in 1944, she studied at Sunderland Technical College, where she met Ahlberg. The two married in 1969, and began to work together, publishing their first co-venture - The Old Joke Book - in 1976. She won the 1978 Kate Greenaway Medal from the British Library Association - an award recognizing the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject - for Each Peach Pear Plum.

Janet Ahlberg died of breast cancer in 1994, at the age of fifty, having produced many beloved and bestselling books. Her daughter with Allan Ahlberg - Jessica Ahlberg - is also a children's book creator.

Reviews

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable and very charming, with tiny books within books. I'm a great admirer of Janet Ahlberg, who wrote one of my favorite children's books (that's also remarkably difficult to find in the U.S., unfortunately): Burglar Bill.

[Diana Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uuuu, this must be my favourite of the series, with the Jolly Postman having many adventures around many beloved characters in a dream, or maybe not.

[Shanaz Begum · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

I cannot believe I have not read this before! It’s a brilliant idea to follow the Jolly Postman on his rounds. The authors have cleverly interwoven the stories of Jack & The Beanstalk, Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. I love the little extras throughout the book. There are “pockets” designed like envelopes, which contain letters, a telegram, a “coded” message, a postcard and a miniature book. I love books which include extras and letters to read.

This book is a great read for children, and the extras engage them totally. It’s a game as much as it is a book. Most of sentences in the book rhyme, which is a bonus. This book can be read to Early Years and Key Stage 1. This book can also be used for letter writing and poetry.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite books ever! In this story the postman gets a bang to his head and goes on an adventure where he meets Alice in Wonderland and Dorothy! I love the rhymes and I love opening all the envelopes to see what's inside!

[Isobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic tale is about a jolly postman delivering letters to different fairytale characters. It is intriguing for children because they can read the letter and the envelopes to find out which letter is addressed to certain fairytale characters.

[Nara · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Um carteiro que cai túnel abaixo,
um cachorro que cai pé pra cima,
um coelho apressado perdendo papéis
(ele até parecia ter rodas nos pés!.)*
O papel amassado caindo no chão,
um carteiro espantado esticando a mão:
"Ei! Que carta é essa? Porque tanta pressa?"
*E tinha mesmo! "

Só acho que os livros para adultos deveriam ser todos assim também 🤣 Cheio de surpresas, anexos e livros dentro dos livros 😌

[Sarah Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have heard so many lovely reviews about this story book, and I can understand why! Below are some of the main reasons as to why I rate this book so highly.

- It is jam packed with lots of sweet illustrations and little extras which I am sure would children love to explore independently.
- The format has some lovely introductory rhyming couplets which could be discussed as a whole class.
- There is reference throughout to traditional tales which could be explored at the teacher's discretion. There are nursery rhymes which match to some of theses tales which could be sung in addition to a story time. (e.g. 'Little Miss Moffat' and 'Mary, Mary, quite contrary')
- There is plenty of rich, extension vocabulary such as 'flabbergasted' and 'astonished'.

Overall, a lovely, rich story which ought to be enjoyed by all school children. Whilst it is true that even the youngest of readers should be exposed to rich vocabulary, I personally would avoid reading it with readers younger than five, simply owing to its length.

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s such a fun series when you get all the references! I got a lot of them, but many are referencing nursery rhymes that, as a foreigner, I’ve never heard as a child and I have to google in the hopes that I’ll find the source of (for example, the phone bill for a rowboat. I thought it referenced the ‘row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream’ nursery rhyme, but then why the walkie talkie in the illustration and phone bill? And the boat being in a lake, not a stream, makes me this it’s probably referencing something I don’t know of.)

I wish I could find a website or someone that analyzed the text and all the references so I could further explore all the little secrets of this fun series. If anybody knows any such source, I would appreciate it so much if they’d point me in its direction!

I think this series is simply genius and you always discover something new reading it. It’s definitely one of my favorite series to read and gift the children in my family and friend group!

[Clwseattle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these Jolly Postman books! I love how intricate and complex yet satisfyingly simple for a little one The Jolly Pocket Postman story is with references to fairy tales, The Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland. There is so much to see and explore. I've now read all three Jolly Postman books. They are a treasure! My favorite (so far) of the Janet Ahlberg books remains Each Peach Pear Plum

[nana · Rating 5 out of 5]

infinite stars!!!!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Rubi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally got my hands on this! Its so cute, but very different from the first two. The postma suffers an accident while making his rounds and dreams (or did he?). There's a bunch of tiny things to read along a stories within the story. I liked it, but it did flow less fluidly than the previous books. Any fan of The Jolly Postman would love this edition!

[Fiona Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children would find this book very funny because everything seems to go wrong for The Jolly Postman. The book also contains wonderful and beautifully illustrated resources, rich vocabulary and the whole story rhymes which I really enjoyed.

[Daniel Rodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant book by Janet and Alan Allberg. this interactive book is beautifully illustrated and littered with well know fairy tale characters that children will have heard of. this makes the book so effective as does the cleverly engineered rhyme scheme. a brilliant picture book.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked reading this with the kids. The letters make it exciting. But I liked the first one better.

[Kate Mcwilliams · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Jolly Pocket Postman was one of my favorite books as a child, and having revisited it I will definitely be using it in the classroom. This book follows the Postman on his rounds and cleverly introduces characters from both fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Removable extras in the book can be used to engage KS1 children independently. The wonderful and detailed illustrations make the book enjoyable for adult readers too. This is a must use resource for teachers!

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still worth re reading as a grown up!

[Aneesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book did not make sense to either me or the 4yo. Of course, we were missing a few pieces.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

As cartinhas minúsculas!!! Quase morri com a fofura.

[May Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the most fun and interactive book we have so far. My 2.5 yo boy loves every bit of it. If I would summarise it in one sentence, it would be the postman and his magical adventure :)

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is a must-read for artists and designers alike. It’s a wonderful little study in crafting a whimsical exciting experience.

[Tara Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolute favorite from childhood. I loved it so much, I think I'll have to purchase my own copies.

[Zaru13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's very creative, with letters and a magnify glass and a story to flow it's very well done.

[Lulu Cares · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic! Delightful illustrations!

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection! No notes!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Jolly Postman books as a child (I still do) and didn't know that this one existed. I love looking in the envelopes throughout. This book is full of whimsy.

[Miss Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This time the Jolly Postman has deliveries for Dorothy from Oz, Alice from Wonderland, and other favorite storybook characters. Has pockets for the letters to be read by the reader.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jolly Postman finds himself in Alice’s Wonderland and the Emerald City. An adorable story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful. I wish more childrens books were still like this - hand drawn illustrations vs computer graphics. These are the classics.

[Julia Wickenden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I loved the other two Jolly Postman books so much, I felt that I should read the final book in the set. 'The Jolly Pocket Postman' was my least favourite of the books, perhaps because the 'pocket' nature of The Jolly Postman deprived the reader of the fantastic juxtaposition of the everyday and the fictional that is found in the other two books. Nonetheless the kinaesthetic learner would be intrigued by this book, and the characters encountered as well as the illustrations are charming. This is still an excellent book, but for me it does not quite meet up to the extraordinary standards of the previous two.

The basic idea of 'The Jolly Pocket Postman' is that the reader follows The Jolly Postman on his rounds. Along the way he encounters many well-loved characters and delivers letters to them. These letters are enclosed in envelopes within the book and can be taken out and read.

'The Jolly Pocket Postman' would be well-suited to a classroom in some ways. It would be suitable for Early Years, however it is unlikely that they would be able to read it all. The reading level is more accessible for Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2. It could be in the book corner where children could either read it or just enjoy the pictures and hands-on nature of it. The danger of this would be that pieces could easily go missing or get damaged. It may therefore be more suitable as a whole class story, encouraging individual children to take it in turn to take the letters out of the envelopes as the story progresses.

[Samantha Maclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another brilliant book from Janet and Allan Ahlberg - The Jolly Pocket Postman. This book focuses on a postman that is out delivering letters to some well known characters from other books such as Alice in Wonderland, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Jack and the Beanstalk. Whilst the story itself is enjoyable, the best aspect of this book is that there are envelopes throughout the book that contain extra parts of the story, such as letters, postcards, a telegram, and a magnifying glass to read the small print.

This book would be best suited to KS1 and lower KS2 children, although if read as a class book it could be used in EYFS classes as the book is very well illustrated. This book could be used in literacy when teaching children about poetry or rhyming as the whole story uses rhyming words. An activity using this story could be to incorporate their favourite character from another book and suggest what the postman could deliver to them. Due to the fact that there are lots of additional parts to the book which may get lost, it may be better suited to a class reading activity, although it could be read by the children to the class as opposed to the teacher reading.

I speak from experience when I say this book is a very enjoyable read as a child, with the pocket extras being an exciting bonus.