Stephen Savage (1)

I realized after I looked at this that I had never read the original picture book. I usually try to get the original book to compare how it works as a picture book and as a board book, but Stephen Savage's illustration style seems so clearly suited to a board book setting that I didn't bother this time around.

The story begins with seven pumpkins on a spooky night. One by one they disappear, turning into various Halloween icons or being carried off. An owl swoops off with a large black show more outline clutched in his claws, pirate skeletons carry off their pumpkin loot in a bag, a witch tosses one into a pot. The last gets turned into a glowing jack-o-lantern to wish readers a happy Halloween.

Savage's clear, modern design makes this a fun I spy exercise as readers look for the glowing eyes and large black shape of the pumpkins camouflaged amongst the silhouettes. Bright bursts of color, purple, orange, green, fill the backgrounds making the bold black illustrations stand out. The book is a sturdy, 7x7 square.

But is it too scary? Scary is....awfully subjective. In the space of less than an hour I had a parent ask for scary stories for their five year old, who had watched Poltergeist, and another parent reject the exact same stories for their nine year old as "too scary." Which one was right? Well, both. Every kid has a different threshold for scary and the caregiver is generally the best person to know what's right for their child. So, if your toddler will be scared by some classic Halloween iconography, or Halloween isn't a big deal for your family, this isn't the book for you. If you go all out for Halloween and your toddler loves dancing skeletons, swooping owls, and a glowing jack-o-lantern popping out at the end, this is perfect for you.

Verdict: A great addition to your Halloween collection, but I'd break my rule for once and not put this in with the general board books as parents will want to know they're getting a very definite Halloween counting book.

ISBN: 9780803741386; Board book edition published 2015 by Dial/Penguin; Review copy provided by the publisher; Donated to the library show less

Picture book author and illustrator Stephen Savage presents a pumpkin countdown in this entertaining Halloween picture book. Starting out: "Ten orange pumpkins, / fresh off the vine. / Tonight will be a spooky night. / Yikes! There are 9," each verse describes a reduction in the number of gourds, as the illustrations show the pumpkins being put to all kinds of uses, whether as the head of a scarecrow or a jack-o-lantern for Halloween...

Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book is the second show more picture book I have read from Savage, following upon his Little Plane Learns to Write, and pairs an eminently readable text in rhyme with bold artwork that makes excellent use of bright orange and deep black hues, and which sometimes has the feeling of silhouette art. This would make a good Halloween story-time book, given how fun it would be to read (and hear!), how eye-catching the simple illustrations are, and how it blends spooky and silly elements. It is for that purpose that I would recommend it. show less

Where's Walrus is a wordless book that visually tells about the whereabouts of a walrus that has escaped from the zoo. While the zookeeper/ guard tries to track the runaway animal, the walrus does a humorous job at disguising itself in various costumes and outfits so as to remain free and on the loose. After having dressed up in business suits, construction hats, and posing as a storefront display, the walrus finds itself participating in a diving competition against other human swimmers. show more Being the animal that it is, walrus wins and inevitable gets discovered and caught. However, the story is not a sad one, being that the walrus's feat leads it to be the main attraction at the zoo, showing off its diving skills for visitors to see.
I absolutely love the boldness and consideration in design of this book. From cover to cover, Where's Walrus? grabs and holds the reader's attention by constantly moving the eye all around the page. It does so as a means to find the walrus as well as to make for an alternative reading experience. Since the book is wordless, it requires that children create language for themselves. What is great about the author, Stephen Savage's, work on this book is that his imagery is visually strong and thus provides a simple, universal story line which is comprehensive and linear. It allows for readers to read the pictures with ease and guides them to continue throughout the story. show less

Little Plane is eager and willing when he enters flight school, excited to learn to write his message across the big blue sky. But although he excels at ARCS and DIVES, he simply can't master LOOPITY-LOOPS. How will he write, if he can't produces the letter O? Then one night the bright full moon shows him the way, and after some practice, he finally masters that last skill he needs...

Although long aware of Stephen Savage's work - his stories about various vehicles (Supertruck, Little Tug, show more etc.) are quite popular at work, as are his Where's Walrus? picture-books - I hadn't picked up any of his titles until Little Plane Learns to Write popped up on my radar. The narrative here is simple but engaging, and will find a receptive audience with young children, particularly those who also struggle, like the flying hero in Little Plane Learns to Write, to master new skills. The artwork, which was created digitally, is colorful and appealing, in a cartoon-like way. Recommended to young plane lovers, and to all young children who are themselves learning to write. The letter O can be a challenge! show less