Big Pumpkin [Paperback]

Erica Silverman (Author), S.D. Schindler (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 1, 1995 | Age Range: 4 and up | Lexile Measure: 350L (What's this?)

The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can't get it off the vine.

It's so big the ghost can't move it, either. Neither can the vampire, nor the mummy. It looks as if there'll be no pumpkin pie for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day.

How can the tiny bat succeed where bigger and strong spooky creatures have failed? You'll be surprised!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A rhythmic text and a vibrant palette combine in a Halloween tale noteworthy for its finely tuned balance of drama and comedy. A green-faced witch, with pickle-shaped nose and chin, decides to mark the holiday by baking a pumpkin pie. But the pumpkin she's planted is stuck on the vine. A gallery of graveyard ghouls comes to her aid--first a translucent white ghost, then a smartly dressed vampire, a tightly bound mummy and, finally, a bat with a bright idea. Their breezy conversations create a pleasantly sinister mood that stops just short of being scary. Accordingly, in Schindler's hands the cast looks not so much spooky as spirited. The eye-catching full-spread illustrations, in rich hues of orange and blue, capture the midnight magic, while dropped-out type adds an extra dash of mystery. A fine combination of fright and fun. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-- A rollicking, amusing Halloween tale. Based on the Russian folktale ``The Turnip,'' it's the cumulative tale of a witch who plants a pumpkin seed in anticipation of a Halloween pie. When the pumpkin grows too large, however, she finds she needs the help of some fitting wanderers: ghost, vampire, mummy, and a little bat. Some nice lessons are learned: the need for help from others, the joy of sharing, and that everyone--no matter what size-- has something to offer. The text is rhythmic and repetitive, making it a surefire success for story hours or read-alouds. Schindler's richly colored illustrations lend humor and give a lively feeling to the characters and plot, helping to make the story nonthreatening for the youngest of readers. The book starts with a large border, and the pictures and the pumpkin grow as large as the page. Rousing good fun for the Halloween season and far beyond. --Elizabeth Hanson, Chicago Pub . Lib .
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689801297
• ISBN-13: 978-0689801297
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (109 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,163 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Halloween

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Teacher's Favorite October 4, 2002

By Annette Huff

Format:Paperback

Of all the Halloween books I have in my Halloween box at school, this is the one my students love the best. Since I began using it 4 years ago, my classes(K-2)have usually had it memorized and could say the verses outloud with me as I read. The pictures are incredible. The story is darling. If you happen to come across the book on tape, grab it up quick. The producers put the words to delightful music, and voices that make the book come to life.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Big Pumpkin! Big Fun! August 21, 2002

By Terrie

Format:Paperback

This is a funny, charming Halloween story that introduces some of the traditional frightening monsters of Halloween like a green-faced witch, vampire, ghost, bat, and a mummy but in a non-scary fun-filled way. A delightful old witch plants a seed and grows a huge pumpkin because she has plans for making pumpkin pie. The pumpkin gets so big that she can't get it off the vine and down to her house to make it into a pie. As she struggles, successive passers-by stop to help because they also want some yummy pie. The witch, vampire, ghost and mummy all try using brawn and fail but a clever little bat saves the day with his idea rather than his strength. All the characters are drawn with such a light-hearted and comical approach that there is no scare to them at all, only a funny sense of helpfulness to reach that big goal, a pumpkin pie! You haven't seen a vampire until you've seen one enjoying a bite of pumpkin pie with those incisors and smiling at the same time! Big fun.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to "scary" figures September 13, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I read this book to my daughter last October when she was just a little over two. She's just turned three and we're using it as our pre-Halloween reading again. What I like best about the book is that the characters, a witch, ghost, vampire, mummy and bat, aren't at all scary. They all have the same sole interest, eating pumpkin pie. There's no witchcraft, no haunting, no nasty mischief. They're basically silly characters, offering parents a good way to introduce young children to them in a way that might later neutralize potentially scarier meetings. This book will not give my three year old nightmares - she may, however dream of pumpkin pie.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars superb illustrations... fun story April 24, 2002

By W. K. Miller

Format:Hardcover

In Erica Silverman's _Big Pumpkin_, a witch tries to get her big pumpkin off the vine, so she can make pumpkin pie. A mummy, a vampire, a ghost and a bat each stop by and try to pull the pumpkin from the vine. They succeed when they all pull together. Later they share the pumpkin pie.

Schindler's illustrations are hilarious. The image of the mummy trying to pull the pumpkin from the vine is one i will never forget... the image of the bat eating pumpkin pie is another one. Both I and my (3 year old) son find this book very funny. The story is simple and repetitive...there is nothing really scary or morbid here at all.

In my opinion, this is an ideal Halloween picture book for 3- and 4-year olds.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Halloween Treat! October 4, 2005

By Tim Janson HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

I have a 3 year old who is just a nut about Halloween and pumpkins. This book is just the perfect story for him and he loves it year round...so far. It's the story of a witch who grows an absolutely huge pumpkin. But the Pumpkin is so big that she cannot get it off the vine and moved. She enlists the aid of similar denizens of the night including a ghost, vampire, mummy, and a bat but none of them can get the Pumpkin moved...until they figure out it takes teamwork and cooperation to get the job done. A truly hilarious story that teachs kids about cooperation. The book is spooky, but never scary. The illustrations are colorful and bold and attractive to especially younger kids. Erica Silverman has made a delightful book that is simply too good to be read only at Halloween time.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great Halloween book that makes it a lot less scary October 27, 2003

By James Sadler

Format:Paperback

Every night when my three-year-old goes to bed either my wife or I read to her. I love it this time of year because we read this book over and over and never get tired of it.

This book features a number of horror icons: a witch, a ghost, a vampire, a mummy, and a bat. But they are all presented humorously as they struggle with the same problem, how to move a huge pumpkin to the witch's house so she can bake pumpkin pie for Halloween?

The witch, ghost, vampire, and mummy each take a stab at moving it, only to each fail individually. When the bat shows up, he has the answer.

Not only is this tale funny and entertaining, it contains some subtle messages, i.e., size and strength aren't everything, brains are usually better than brawn, and teamwork is the best way to accomplish a daunting task.

We read this so much that I just bought a new copy as the old one is pretty worn after a being read on-and-off over the past year. A truly great read at Halloween.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a seasonal read August 19, 2005

By A. Maynard

Format:Paperback

I don't know how we got this book, but what a treasure. My daughter loves the rythym and build of this book. The characters build upon each others' attempt to pluck a witch's pumpkin from her vine. It features the witch, a vampire, a mummy and a bat. They are all non-threatening as the goal is to make and eat a pumkin pie.

It inspired us to plant our own three pumkin seeds this year. She asks great questions about the book still after at least 100 reads. It's a jewel, pick it up and enjoy.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny! July 11, 2005

By Charlie

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

My three year old son and six year old daughter can't get enough of this book, they think it's very funny and entertaining!