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
Effectively captures the excitement surrounding Valentine’s Day.
A collection of poems follows a group of elementary school students as they prepare for and celebrate Valentine’s Day.
One student starts the day by carefully choosing clothing in pink, purple, or red, while a family kicks off the morning with a breakfast of red, heart-shaped pancakes. At school, children create valentines until party time finally arrives with lots of yummy treats. The students give valentines to their school friends, of course, but we also see one child making a “special delivery” to a pet, a stuffed animal, family members, and even the crossing guard. The poems also extend the Valentine’s celebration to the community park, where other couples—some older, one that appears to be same-sex—are struck by cupid’s “magical love arrows.” Note the child running away: “Blech!” Not everyone wants to “end up in love!!!” But the spread devoted to Valentine’s jokes will please readers more interested in humor than in romance and inspire children to create their own jokes. To make the celebration complete, the last pages of the book contain stickers and a double-sided “BEE MINE!” valentine that readers can, with adult help, cut out. Cheery and kid-friendly, the poems can be read independently or from cover to cover as a full story. The cartoonish illustrations include lots of hearts and emphasize the growing Valentine’s Day excitement, depicting a diverse classroom that includes students who use wheelchairs. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Effectively captures the excitement surrounding Valentine’s Day. (Picture-book poetry. 4-6)Pub Date: Dec. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-593-38717-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Oct. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will delight in discovering the joyous time pumpkins have when it’s Halloween.
Magical moonbeams awaken a pumpkin patch to raucous Halloween-season revelry.
A moonbeam illuminates and energizes a smiley-faced pumpkin sitting alone on a stair; it promptly takes off to find a friend with whom to have a good time. An entire pumpkin patch, also sparked by the magical moon, instantly comes alive. And what merriment all the grinning gourds get up to! Their playful shenanigans include piling high on top of one another, bouncing on a trampoline, dancing, marching, and drumming, wearing costumes, and competing in games. They even engage in activities usually reserved for other holiday-themed icons—flying on brooms and making magic, for instance. As dawn approaches, the pumpkin leader escorts the cavalcade back home. At sunrise, each one takes up residence on a different house’s front porch and awaits that evening’s moonbeams to work their magic again. Liveliness and good cheer abound in this frisky rhyming tale in which the perennial holiday symbols naturally take center stage. Perky couplets that read and scan very well appear on most pages and are accompanied by energetic, expressive illustrations that highlight vivid oranges, yellows, blues, purples, and greens with touches of other bright shades.
Readers will delight in discovering the joyous time pumpkins have when it’s Halloween. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-338-56332-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Cartwheel/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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