Pumpkins by Mary Lyn Ray

by Jennifer Stowe

Tired of ghouls, goblins, witches and devils? Pumpkins is a warm antidote to all the Halloween horrors. Pull your little one into your lap to share this story of conservation.

Once a man sold everything he had to save his field from development. It wasn't enough. So the man grew pumpkins - 461,212 to be precise. He called all the rulers and all the congresses around the world and told them he was shipping them pumpkins he had grown. Since people in many lands didn't know what to do with pumpkins, the man attached a note to each one. The note explained what pumpkins were for: jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin muffins. All the pumpkins were bought and the man was able to save his field. After saving his field, the man kept one pumpkin for its seeds just in case another farmer found himself in the same predicament.

Mary Lyn Ray weaves her lessons into a gentle tale perfect for sharing with young children. Repetitive language, rhythm and alliteration keep young listeners attention on the story. Readers learn to love the field themselves through the illustrations which show the beauty of the field and why the man loves it so dearly. The watercolor and gouache illustrations help unify the story, with yellows, golds, and oranges (perfect for this time of year) repeating on every page. The landscapes are consistent throughout the book. The field has the same shape as a sand dune where a man in traditional Arab dress carves a jack-o-lantern. The image continuity illustrates how all cultures rely on the earth.

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