Big Pumpkin

Hoping to make her favorite treat (a pumpkin pie, of course!), a witch plants a pumpkin seed in her garden in this charming Halloween tale, carefully tending the plant which springs from it, and watching it as it slowly develops into a massive gourd. But when the pumpkin proves too large to move by herself, the witch is forced, much against her inclination, to accept the offers of help made by a passing ghost, vampire and mummy. Despite these ghoulish assistants, the pumpkin stubbornly stays put, until a tiny bat flies by, and has a bright idea...

As a confirmed pumpkin-pie lover (I also enjoy pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin whoopie pies!), it was a foregone conclusion that I would appreciate Erica show more Silverman's Big Pumpkin, which introduces the traditional monsters of the season in a gentle, non-threatening way. The message of the book - that it is more effective, as well as more fun, to work together - is a welcome one, particularly as it doesn't overwhelm the story itself. The accompanying illustrations, done by S.D. Schindler in gouache, are spooky (but not too spooky) and fun. All in all, this is a winner, when it comes to Halloween fare for younger readers, and I'm glad that it was chosen as one of our October selections, in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme is witches and monsters! show less

I have always loved this book, even as a child. One reason I love this book is because of the pictures, the pictures really enhance the story line. When someone says that they have a big pumpkin, you would never imagine it THAT big. But, with the pictures, as a reader, you can truly imagine how much they are struggling to move this big pumpkin. The language in this book also makes it interesting for children to read. The rhyming of "It's big and it's mine, but it's stuck on the vine, and Halloween is just hours away." Reading this as a child, the flow made the book seem to go faster. The big message of this book is that working together, no matter your size or differences, you are able to help someone in the biggest way.

An absolute classic and favorite year after year. We just bought a copy for each classroom.
For those not in the know, this can be read with part of the story sung... we had a tape, but I'm guessing it might be on youtube by now! Again, the kids have always loved it.

This works for all our ages 2-5, as it is fun and engaging and full of fun (spooky but not scary) halloween characters. Also a great lesson on teamwork!

I enjoyed reading "Big Pumpkin" by Erica Silverman for a few reasons. The first reason I enjoyed this children's book was due to the patterned language used throughout. Every time a new character came into the scene the witch would say, "It's big and it's mine, but it's stuck one the vine, and Halloween's just hours away." This rhythm and repetition is exactly what makes the children stay interested in the story. Second, I liked how the characters fit the overall theme of the story. It takes place around the time of Halloween and uses characters such as a ghost, a vampire, a mummy, a bat, and of course the main character the witch. Without the use of these specific characters the book would not fit the overall theme, helping to enhance show more the story. In addition, the third reason this book is successful is because of the plot. The conflict that the characters face is pulling the pumpkin off the vine. In the end however, they all work together, "The bat pulled the mummy, the mummy pulled the vampire, the vampire pulled the ghost, the ghost pulled the witch, and the witch pulled the pumpkin." After trying multiple times the characters finally got the pumpkin off the vine. All in all I think that the 'big idea' of this book is to teach children that with teamwork you can accomplish anything. Sometimes when you try to do things by yourself it doesn't work out but, when you decide to work with others you can achieve almost anything. show less

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked how the author’s writing is clever yet predictable. On each page, a new character is added to the story, trying to pull out of the ground and win over a giant pumpkin to make pumpkin pie with. Each time a new character comes to try to pull the pumpkin, the other characters in the book each respond by muttering, “Hmph!” Each time a character tries and fails pulling the pumpkin out of the ground, that character shouts, “drat!” When reading this story with or aloud to children, they will pick up on the repetition of phrases and join in, making the story enjoyable and interacting for them. I actually witnessed this story being read aloud to a kindergarten class and the students show more loved being able to accurately predict what phrase was coming up, and they laughed each time they said the repeated phrases. The second reason I liked this book is because of the illustrations. I liked how the illustrator made the background dark on every page while the pumpkin is an incredibly vibrant orange color. This corresponds with the written text well because it represents why the characters in the story all want the giant plump pumpkin to make pumpkin pie. The big idea of this book is to celebrate Halloween and inform young readers that pumpkins make pumpkin pie. show less

Witch wants to make pumpkin pie but her pumpkin is too big to handle alone. Luckily, some spooks are out haunting on Halloween and show up to help poor witch. This book is delightfully written and illustrated and emphasizes the value of teamwork!

Once there was a witch who planted a pumpkin seed. It grew and grew until Halloween arrived. The witch wanted to take her pumpkin off the vine to make pie, but it was no use. She tried and tried, but the pumpkin just sat. What's a witch to do?

Along came a ghost, a vampire, and a mummy all eager to help. Each tried, but it was no use. Then a tiny bat had a large idea. Will it work in time for the witch to make Halloween pumpkin pie? Read this charming picture book with your little one to find out.

The Bottom Line: Silverman's clever story features rhythm and repetition popular with little ones learning to read. Schindler's illustrations bring the spirit of teamwork to life with vibrant paintings. This amusing book is perfect for story show more time for kids in grades K – 2.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog. show less