The Wump World

"The Wump World" by Bill Peet (1970) is a children's book about imaginary creatures, known as Wumps. These Wumps look somewhat like a cross between a capybara (sometimes called a water hog) and a moose. The story about these Wumps takes place on their own planet, hence the name The Wump World. A race of blue humanoids named the Pollutians overruns the Wump World, causing the Wumps to flee to the safety of underground caves. The Pollutians build great cities and colonise, dirtying the air, water, and plowing down greenery. The Pollutians reach trouble when the air becomes too polluted, and their leaders send scouts to search for another planet. One scout returns, claiming that he has found a bigger and better world; upon hearing this news the entire Pollutian populace leaves the planet, leaving their ruined cities. When the world above grows quiet, the Wumps emerge to find a changed world, a deserted "concrete jungle". The Pollutians, having used up every natural resource, have left; but all is not lost, as the book ends with a message of hope about nature's ability to recover.