There are two types of people come fall....
Those who are thrilled over pumpkin everything and those who are rolling their eyes wondering why someone would ever ruin an Oreo or coffee with pumpkin spice. Which are you?Regardless of your take on pumpkin flavored and scented everything you can't deny that pumpkins are a staple decoration and food in the fall. This isn't much of a surprise because it's the time of year when they come into harvest, and these orange fruits have some great stories and activities to go along with them. I have complied a very small stack of pumpkin filled books for you to enjoy with your little ones of both fiction and non fiction.
The first book I have for you goes out to all of you that are in disgust over the pumpkin spice monopoly.
Too Many Pumpkins
written by Linda White
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
When Rebecca Estelle was growing up her family could only afford pumpkins and that's what she ate each year. She vowed that she'd never even look at a pumpkin again when she was older, and she didn't until one day.... and unforeseen event happens and her yard is full of pumpkins! What is she to do with her unplanned pumpkin patch?
If you grew up on a low income or ever struggled you can relate to Rebecca and her distain of pumpkins. What I love is how Linda White turned this around into something good and beautiful at the end. It's such a sweet story.
This is a wonderful book to have a conversation with your child about how you will use your pumpkins. What would you do with a yard full of pumpkins? What pumpkin food was made that you'd like to try?
The illustrations! Oh I love cover, it's eye catching. The look of shock on the lady's face and her cat while looking at a pumpkins all over just sets the tone for the book. The colorful and animated illustrations continue throughout the book. I love the facial expressions on Rebecca as each event unfolds.
Now that we've read about having Too Many Pumpkins and what Rebecca did with her's let's explore how to grow a pumpkin and make a favorite tasty treat.
Grow a Pumpkin Pie!
written by Jane E. Gerver
Illustrated by Tammie Speer-Lyon
This cute book really is self describing in the title. Jane goes over the steps for planting and growing a pumpkin, then to harvest it and turn it into a pie all while rhyming. This simple level 1 reader from Scholastic helps those kids just learning to read on their own with short sentences and high frequency words. This is a non fiction book that goes into how to plant and grow a pumpkin and then very simply it shares about fall and how to bake a pie. I wish they actually did give the full recipe at the end of the book but more than likely everyone has their own family recipe. Instead of a recipe at the end there are a few reflections aimed at young readers. So you have a maze to do, match the pumpkins, sequence of events, and a rhyming activity that all match the words used in the book. These activities are fun for the children and work to show comprehension and reinforce phonic skills.
This book would be a fun book to read in the spring before planting a garden and talk about what you want to grow and what steps need to be taken. Then read it again this time of year for harvesting and making your treat.
Now that we know how pumpkins grow and what we can make with them...what about a story about a pumpkin that grew a little different than all the rest?
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
written by Joe Troiano
Illustrated by Susan Banta
While this story is clearly a work of fiction the lesson in it is so dear. Spookley is a square pumpkin (clearly that's stated in the title) but he's the only one and he doesn't like that he can't roll around like the other and doesn't like feeling different. This is something a lot of kids and people can relate to. Of course we are all different because we aren't robots and if we were the world would be so boring, but this is not how you picture things when you are young and are trying to fit in with everyone.
While Spookley is feeling like the odd pumpkin out a storm comes in and tosses all the round pumpkins all over and a couple break a hole in the fence and are lost to the bay. Spookley sees that he can stop the others from the same fate and saves the day. When the farmer discovers the one square pumpkin he saves Spookley's seeds and the next year grows all odd shaped pumpkins.
Fun fact you can incorporate with this book, while round is the natural shape of pumpkins and many other fruits and veggies but there is a company who has successfully made square watermelon! Check out how and why they did.
Another book that teaches about how differences are good is:
The Bumpy Little Pumpkin
written by Margery Cuyler
Illustrated by Will Hillenbrand
The Bumpy Little Pumpkin is about a family of Big Mama, two big older sisters and a little girl named Nell. They grow their own pumpkin patch and when it's time to pick their pumpkins to carve each older sister picks out a big pumpkin. Only Nell finds a small little pumpkin that's bumpy that she likes. The sisters tell her to pick a smooth one but Nell decides to keep her own and ends up with a cute Jack O'Lantern.
I find it neat how Margery included animals in this story. There's a reindeer, a bear, hare, crow, Cardinal, and Sparrow who all help Nell in carving her pumpkin and felling better about the pumpkin she chose. This book offers a couple great lessons you can expand upon. If you have a little zoologist on your hands you can dive into each type of animal listed and learn more about them. Study what type of birds you have in your back yard this time of year. Also you can compare how each pumpkin is different and how it's okay to have one that is so odd looking because you can make something unique out of it. There's also the obvious "now let's make our own Jack O' Lantern."
Speaking of Jack O'Lantern's where did that tradition come from? Read this folklore book that started this tradition and be sure to check out the link above to see what History.com had to add to this legend.
The Story of the Jack O'Lantern
written by Katherine Tegen
Illustrated by Brandon Dorman
This bit of folklore that is retold comes from Ireland and is hundred's of years old. There once was a mean old man named Jack who made a deal with a Devil and when it was his time to pay the Devil back he caught the coal thrown at him in a carved pumpkin and was cursed to wander the earth. In short that is the story.
I hadn't heard this before so I found it interesting and of course Katherine Tegen goes much more in detail and has a fun animated story to read aloud.
The dark illustrations done by Brandon Dorman really capture the rotten spirit of Stingy Jack. Even the daytime images are in non vibrant colors so there's a feel of foreboding and a different time period. The illustrations I really love in the book are the ones at night. I love how he captured the crisp fall night sky, with scattered clouds, and the shadows and how the moonlight reflects off the pumpkins. The feeling of a late October night is perfect and beautiful to look at.
Fun fact learned in the author's note: the original jack-o-lanterns were carved out of potatoes, beets, and turnips. Would you try your hand at carving something as small as a beet?
I love looking at carved pumpkins, and it's on my bucket list to go to a pumpkin house where there are hundreds of carved pumpkins to view. I would love to do that! Want to try to up your carving game?
Extreme Pumpkins 2: Take Back Halloween and Freak Out a Few More Neighbors
by Tom Nardone
I'm going to highly recommend this book for those kids who are crafty and into Halloween. I love Tom's added comments like his taste comparison of different pumpkins for cooking. (Did you know there are different types of pumpkins?) This book reads like a cook book with notes from your mom's funny best friend! You are gives a list of items (ingredients) you will need and shown a picture of what you can potentially make, and then you are given some directions and set on your own to see what you can create. Please use this book with adult supervision!
Need some carving tools?
One last book I want to leave you with is a nonfiction from National Geographic Kids all about...
Halloween
by Laura Marsh
As a general rule of thumb, you can't go wrong with National Geographic especially the ones aimed for children! I have several of their books and we read them often.
I find that this book is a bit different than the NatGeo animal books we read in that it has many open ended questions throughout it. These questions are great because it's engaging in conversation. Another thing that is different in this book from most others is that it has jokes. Yes, they are corny kids jokes that you use to read on go-gurts or Popsicle sticks, but they are still funny and kids love them!
After the first couple pages you get into the fun facts and more in depth information that you would expect to find like how pumpkins grow (did you know each pumpkin has about 500 seeds in it?!) and gives you some ideas on ways to decorate your house. There's a page the mentions the traditions of Halloween and another one for The Day of the Dead.
Overall this book is great for young children because they love having the chance to talk and getting to respond to questions in a book. After first grade I think they might be looking for more of a story or more information. Compared to other National Geographic books I have this one didn't quite meet my expectations but it's still a fun and easy read for younger children.
Since I only touched the tip of the pumpkin pile of books if you are still looking for some other ones check out these two other blogs:
Hope you enjoy these books and if you have a favorite pumpkin themed book I didn't list please comment it below so I can check it out!!
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