Pumpkins
Kindergarten-Grade 2–With color photos that equal any painting for artistry of composition and sensitivity, Robbins has created a book that is certain to become an autumn favorite. Without naming the season, it launches into a description of autumn as …that time of year when…, clearly and poetically evoking the crisp, cooler days with the leaves …splashing their color on the ground…. The author documents the life cycle of the pumpkin with close-up, naturalistic photos and clear, simple text. He discusses the wide variety of pumpkin colors and sizes, from the palm-sized types to those weighing more than 1000 pounds. Basic instructions are included for carving a jack-o-lantern, with adult help suggested. The next year's crop, ensured by the pumpkins and their seeds left to rot in the field, is the focus of the last spread. Will Hubbell'sPumpkin Jack(Albert Whitman, 2000) covers similar ground, but is told as a story, and has colored-pencil illustrations. Reading both books makes a great lesson in comparing and contrasting, as well as in botany and in the joys of the season.–Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, Waterford, NJCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.