Little ones just beginning to celebrate Halloween are sure to chime in on the repeated refrain, “you are my little pumpkin,”...
When a little pumpkin tells his mother about all the adventures he wants to have on Halloween, she makes loving preparations so that he will have the best time ever.
Lewis carefully crafts a tale of a watchful mother who wants to ensure a safe and positive experience for her little one. Riffing on The Runaway Bunny, the young gourd imagines riding a witch’s broom, visiting a haunted house, dancing the monster mash at a party, joining friends in a mummy-wrap activity, entering a pumpkin contest, trick-or-treating all through town, and going on a hayride. His mother responds to each announcement with what she thinks will help him: a parachute, his “blanky,” favorite monster shoes, rolls of tissue, a pirate costume, and baked treats to share. Zenz creates flat, uncluttered cartoon illustrations that have a nostalgic feel that pairs well with the comforting cadence of the text. While not artful, they are cheery and bright. “ ‘Hmm…’ the little pumpkin said….‘If you think exploring Halloween will be so great, then you may as well come with me.’ / ‘Then we will explore Halloween together,’ his mother replied. ‘After all, you are my little pumpkin.’ ” Readers will have fun spotting mother pumpkin on the pages showing all the fun her son wants to have.
Little ones just beginning to celebrate Halloween are sure to chime in on the repeated refrain, “you are my little pumpkin,” and be inspired to dream up all the exciting things they can take part in during Halloween night. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-63450-214-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2015
A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)
Wallace and Elkerton continue their series about catching elusive mythical creatures (How to Catch a Leprechaun, 2016, etc.) with this Christmas story about an elf who must avoid traps constructed by children before Santa’s annual visit.
The unnamed elf narrator is the sole helper traveling with Santa on his delivery rounds on Christmas Eve, with each house featuring a different type of trap for elves. The spunky elf avoids a mechanical “elf snatcher,” hidden in a plate of cookies, as well as simple traps made of tinsel, double-sided tape, and a cardboard box concealing a mean-looking cat. Another trap looks like a bomb hidden in a box of candy, and a complicated trap in a maze has an evil cowboy clown with a branding iron, leading to the elf’s cry, “Hey, you zapped my tushy!” The bomb trap and the branding iron seem to push the envelope of child-made inventions. The final trap is located in a family grocery store that’s booby-trapped with a “Dinner Cannon” shooting out food, including a final pizza that the elf and Santa share. The singsong, rhyming text has a forced cheeriness, full of golly-jolly-holly Christmas spirit and too many exclamation marks, as well as rhyming word pairs that miss the mark. (No, little elf-boy, “smarter” and “harder” do not rhyme.) Bold, busy illustrations in a cartoon style have a cheeky appeal with a focus on the freckle-faced white elf with auburn curls and a costume with a retro vibe. (Santa is also white.)
A forgettable effort that fails to capture any of the magical charm of Santa’s story. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4926-4631-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Lighthearted and un-scary enough for bedtime.
Talk show host Fallon and illustrator Deas follow up 5 More Sleeps ’Til Christmas (2020) with a story of a youngster preparing for Halloween.
“It’s FIVE more sleeps ’til Halloween, / that spooky time of year / where all the ghosts are wide awake / as nighttime’s drawing near.” A calendar page with a large numeral 5 curls before a bright orange pumpkin. An orange-haired, light-skinned moppet wearing an enormous pair of blue glasses is hunkered down in bed with Gary the dog, whose vibrant blue coloring matches the bedspread. Occasionally accompanied by a sibling, the young narrator counts down day by day, describing seasonal activities: picking out a costume, navigating a corn maze, watching scary movies, taking part in a parade, going on a hayride, and trick-or-treating. The rhyming verses are sometimes a bit rocky but always fun. The text is periodically punctuated by the word boo, which appears in large, cartoonlike lettering; that, along with the calendar countdown motif, adds a pleasant repetition. Though the child confides feelings of trepidation (“What if bats fly in my room? / I think I’ll close my window now”), descriptions of scary moments are always offset by brightly colored, exuberant artwork. Humor abounds: Gary looks both hilarious and sweet dressed in a ghost costume that matches the narrator’s. The final page neatly closes the circle as the child goes from anticipating the holiday to participating in it and back again.
Lighthearted and un-scary enough for bedtime. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 3, 2024
ISBN: 9781250857798
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
