From My Reading Chair…
5 pumpkins, 4 ghosts, 3 frogs, 2 witches and 1 waltz of Halloween whimsy!
Although it’s light on plot and proper scares, for little pumpkins finding their Halloween feet, this is all treats, no tricks.
The rhyme skips along briskly, counting down in a pattern made for joining in. I'm imagining a whole storytime group counting along, anticipating the next line and gleefully shouting out the pumpkins as we canter through it together, over and over. LOVE IT!
Ben Mantle’s playful illustrations keep everything wonderfully clear and mischievous, with large pumpkins taking centre stage and frolicking across the double-page spreads. (The ghost spread is a LUSH whirlwind of movement!)
One second we’re looking up at them from below; the next, whoosh, we’re peering down from above; swish, another subtle change of view. These shifts in perspective give the pictures a bounce that echoes the rhyme and turns a deceptively short story into one we can stretch out with our readers.
Each pumpkin has room to stand out, giving little eyes time to spot, count and get to know them before the next page whisks us away.
Bright, playful and just the right length for the tiniest pumpkins in the patch.
Creep on Reading, Pumpkins!
