Big Pumpkin
By Erica Silverman
Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
Review by: Christa J Koch
Owner/ Operator of
www.preschooleducation.com
“Once there was a witch who wanted to make pumpkin pie. So she planted a pumpkin seed. She weeded and watered, and after a while a sprout poked through.” The witch took care of her pumpkin plant till it was nice and big. With Halloween just hours away, the witch decided it was time to make pumpkin pie. She went to take her pumpkin off the vine. “She pulled and she tugged and she pulled. First she pulled hard and then she pulled harder. But the pumpkin just sat.” The story goes on with the introduction of some traditional other Halloween characters. (Ghost, vampire, mummy.) They all take a turn to try to pull the pumpkin off the vine. None of them are successful. Then a bat happens by. They all laugh at the bat until he tells them his plan. “The bat pulled mummy, the mummy pulled the vampire, the vampire pulled the ghost, the ghost pulled the witch, and the witch pulled the pumpkin.” Till “Snap off came the pumpkin.” At the end of the story the witch, the ghost, the vampire, the mummy and the bat are sharing the pumpkin pie. When they left, the witch “went right out and played another pumpkin seed.”
While at first the story may appear to be scary, you will find that it is not. The traditional Halloween characters are not doing anything mean, haunting, or mischief’s. They are just simply trying to help out another. The story has a great values to it, sharing and helping others. The illustrations are wonderful. They are also not too scary. Each character has a funny cartoon look to them.
I discovered this story about 4 years ago. It has been a favorite of each new class. I am to the point where I can recite the story without the book. The kids, just love it so much they make me read it over and over again. In fact I bought the audio tape to go with it. It is really excellent. It brings the story to life with the voices. No Halloween lesson is complete without this wonderful story.
I recommend this story for preschool children ages 3 and up.
