Kevin Lewis (2)

Despite the warnings of their sister Lil, Buck and Billy Baxter set a massive pumpkin rolling down the hill toward their farm in this Halloween picture book from author Kevin Lewis and illustrator S.D. Schindler. As it wreaks havoc on its way down, the pumpkin also evokes thoughts of delicious autumn treats in the family members it passes, until finally the gourd's journey is stopped by Papa Baxter and his tractor. Now it falls to Grandma to do something with this massive pumpkin, leading to show more a holiday feast...

With its rhythmic rhyming text and colorful illustrations, The Runaway Pumpkin is a fun Halloween tale, and would lend itself to reading aloud during the Halloween season, whether at bedtime or in a story hour. I'm more used to seeing scenes of family dinner in Thanksgiving and Christmas picture books, so I found the conclusion here unexpected, but also pleasing. As someone with a fondness for witches—witchy picture books being a particular pet project of mine—I appreciated the fact that Lil is dressed in a witch costume for the day, and enjoyed those scenes which featured her prominently. Recommended to anyone looking for fun Halloween picture books—more on the silly than the scary side—in rhyme. show less

Some farm kids push an extremely large pumpkin down a hill toward the family homestead. The subsequent chaos and destruction seems secondary to all the adults who imagine ways the pumpkin could be cooked.

You'd think there would be major repercussions, but then I think how I got off easy at six when I knocked Dad's car into neutral and it rolled downhill into the barn. After some initial shock, Dad ended up with a brand-new Cadillac, a larger barn, and an amusing story about his son bursting show more into the bathroom while he was on the toilet and yelling, "I drove it, Dad, I drove the car! But, oh, Dad, I wrecked it! I wrecked it all to hell!"

My daughter liked this book when I read it to her at four-years-old, but she was less fond of it here twenty years later when I read it to her again.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia. show less

Livingstone Columbus Magellan Crouse was a young boy with a passion for all the creatures of the world. Unfortunately, his mother was less enthusiastic, especially when he brought them into her house. The two go back and forth in this rhyming picture-book, as Livingstone continually attempts to bring his latest discoveries home, and his mother continually informs him that they are not allowed...

Although I would imagine that some children will enjoy having Not Inside This House! read aloud to show more them, especially if the storyteller uses an irate voice for Livingstone's mother, I found the text here a little awkward at times, and didn't particularly appreciate the humor. Tastes vary, of course, so others might find the tale of Livingstone and his continual pushing of the envelope quite amusing. The artwork also didn't particularly speak to me, as I found David Ercolini's style a little flat. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this book, but I finished it feeling pretty indifferent. show less

I don't often give simple picture books 5 stars but I've been reading this story aloud to my children for about 8 years now and I still enjoy the rhythm and rhymes. The simple pictures have enough detail to keep kids looking without being busy and cluttered. It's a very soothing book to read at bedtime. And for a paperback book we got as a hand me down in the first place, it hasn't fallen apart yet, so bravo to this sturdy edition published by Harcourt.