Review Detail

The witch grows a pumpkin every year, and this time she has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and it's ready to use for pumpkin pie. Unfortunately, the witch is unable to get the pumpkin off the vine. Several other monsters come along to try to help her move the pumpkin, yet the ghost, the vampire, and the mummy are unable to move the pumpkin. Things look grim for them, and like pumpkin pie is out of the question until the bat comes along with an idea that just might work.

What I Liked: This book opens by introducing you to The Witch, who has a giant pumpkin that she can’t get off the vine. The illustrations throughout the book do a great job of immersing you in the story as we get introduced to new creatures on every page. It's fascinating to see this artist’s rendition of each of these creatures that we are so familiar with.

The repetition used throughout this book is great for keeping younger readers’ attention and for them to follow along more easily. This repetition also makes it easier for new readers to follow along with the story or try reading on their own. This story does a great job of highlighting how we can’t make assumptions when we first meet someone. It was important that the other creatures listen to the bat instead of discarding him for his size.

Final Verdict: Big Pumpkin is a sweet story about how someone shouldn’t be counted out due to their size and how we can accomplish most tasks with the help of others. Children ages 2 and up will enjoy this fun Halloween story that brings together various creatures they are familiar with to accomplish an important task.