Pumpkin Circle, The Story of A Garden
Photography by Shmuel Thaler
Story by George Levenson
Review by: Jacqueline Kilmer
The words “pumpkin circle” could mean almost anything. Most pumpkins are circular. And circular is round. But a cycle is also a circle. And the Pumpkin Circle is the cycle of life, pumpkin life.
Start with a seed. Plant it. It grows. It is harvested. It decays. The seeds grow again. This is the life cycle of the pumpkin. But it is far from dull and drab. The exciting photographs bring this story to life on the pages! The earth lovingly envelops the seeds. Then they burst through the soil to frolic in the warmth of the sun. They mature to entice prospective pumpkin purchasers with their glorious, rotund shapes! They eventually expire on the ground. But new life will spring forth from their disgusting decay. And so the pumpkin circle turns.
From the panoramic pile of pumpkins on the first page to the celebration of seeds on the next to last page, this beautiful book offers so much information. The camera captures each step of growth colorfully. The close-ups are intricately detailed and the prose is imaginatively descriptive. “Velvet petals open, brilliant sunlit bowls, delicately fragrant – a sign of pumpkin gold!”
I recommend this pumpkin pleasure to anyone who loves pumpkins!
Children will love the pictures and parents will enjoy the informative last page.
