No Jumping on the Bed!

[1] The book is aimed at 4-7 year olds and written in humorous rhyming prose, similar in style to that of Dr. Seuss whom Arnold acknowledges as a major influence on his work.

[2] It tells the story of Walter, a little boy whose father has told not to jump up and down on his bed.

Arnold's inspiration for the story came when he and his young family moved from Florida to an old apartment building in Yonkers, New York.

His son Walter, for whom the protagonist is named, was four years old at the time and loved jumping on his bed.

He and his bed fall into Ms. Mabel Hattie's dining room; where he lands in her plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

finds Walter in her plate of spaghetti, she says that she did not expect her company for dinner (with a mouthful of meatballs).

Walter and his bed continue to fall, along with Ms. Mabel Hattie and the spaghetti, into Mr. Matty's TV room where he is watching the dinosaurs on his television set.

Ms. Mabel Hattie falls into Mr. Matty's lap, while Walter lands in his fish tank.

Aunt Batty is still unpacking from her move to her room when she sees her nephew crashing through her ceiling.

Aunt Batty and her stamps join the group as it falls into the next apartment, knocking over a castle of toy blocks that Patty and Natty have been building.

Patty, Natty, and Fatty (their cat) are added to the group as it falls down into Mr. Hanratty's apartment where he is painting a picture at his easel.

Walter, Ms. Mabel Hattie, Mr. Matty, Aunt Batty, Patty and Natty, Mr. Hanratty, the cat, the paint, the spaghetti, the TV (with the dinosaurs), the fish, and various toys now land in Maestro Ferlingatti's concert room where he and his string quartet are practicing.

They too join the tumbling crowd who all end up safely in the dark and quiet basement of the building.