The Very Best Pumpkin - Hardcover

Moulton, Mark Kimball

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1416982884 ISBN 13: 9781416982883

Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2010

Synopsis

Growing up on Mimi and Papa’s farm, Peter knows a lot about caring for pumpkins. One summer Peter finds a lonely pumpkin all by itself in the field, and with his tender care, the pumpkin flourishes. By autumn, it’s the very best pumpkin of all, and Peter wants to keep it for himself. But when a young girl shows up at the farm in quest of a perfect pumpkin, will Peter pass on his prized pumpkin and gain a friend? From the bestselling creators of Reindeer Christmas and A Snowman Named Just Bob, this enchanting story is filled with the magic of autumn and friendship.

About this title

From Booklist:

While working on his grandparents’ farm, Peter discovers a long vine, follows it as it winds away from the patch, and finds a small pumpkin all alone in a meadow. Surrounded by weeds, the pumpkin becomes Peter’s special project, and he spends so much attention on it he doesn’t notice the arrival of the new neighbors and their shy daughter, Meg. Meg watches Peter as he tends the lone pumpkin and is delighted when, after it’s grown big and plump, he gives it to her, admitting he knows she has been there all along. The following season, Meg joins Peter, and they tend the pumpkins together. The illustrations, rendered in watercolors mottled by instant coffee and bleach, are full of life and happy moments. The iconic symbols of the season—falling leaves, acorns, ripe apples—help provide an idyllic autumnal setting for the appealing friendship story. Children will also learn a lot about growing pumpkins along the way. Preschool-Grade 2. --Linda Perkins

Review:

"Moulton and Good team up for a tender autumn story, written in well-turned prose...The gentle story is complemented by glowing, folksy illustrations rendered in watercolors and artfully enhanced with instant coffee and bleach. The simply drawn, wide-eyed characters; country setting; and warm palette echo Joan Walsh Anglund's and Mary Englebreit's cozy worlds. A final page, "Peter's Guide to Growing Your Own Very Best Pumpkin," is a welcome extension for at-home gardeners. -School Library Journal

"The illustrations, rendered in watercolors mottled by instant coffee and bleach, are full of life and happy moments. The iconic symbols of the season—falling leaves, sprightly acorns, ripe apples—help provide an idyllic autumnal setting for the appealing friendship story. Readers will learn a lot about growing pumpkins along the way." - BOOKLIST

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1416982884
• ISBN 13: 9781416982883
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Good Karen Hillard