It's Pumpkin Time!

A brother and sister get an early start on Halloween by planting a pumpkin patch. "A bumper crop of entertainment and basic know-how." - Publishers Weekly

Ages 3-6. Some books wow you with their simplicity, and this is one of them. In a first-person narrative, a little girl tells how she and her brother begin celebrating Halloween in the summer when they plant their pumpkins. The text is direct and easily understandable by preschoolers: "First, I turn the soil with the shovel, and my brother uses the spade to dig narrow rows, just one inch deep. Then we drop in pumpkin seeds and cover them with soil." Before long, small green shoots poke out of the ground and later turn into vines. After the children water and weed, yellow flower buds pop out, showing them where their pumpkins will grow. Bringing this all to life are Halpern's terrific painted paper collages. Big, bold, and childlike in execution, they are especially effective as they chronicle the growth from green buds to round, ripe pumpkins. The last several pages celebrate Halloween as pumpkins become jack-o'-lanterns and the siblings dress up for Halloween. A final spread shows how pumpkins grow underground; there is also an address for the International Pumpkin Association. An informative charmer. Ilene Cooper