The Bumpy Little Pumpkin [Hardcover]

Margery Cuyler (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Little Nell chooses the bumpiest, littlest pumpkin in the patch to carve a jack-o'-lantern of her very own in this sweet Halloween companion to top-seller THE BIGGEST, BEST SNOWMAN.

All summer, Little Nell has tended the garden with BIG Mama, BIG Sarah, and BIG Lizzie, and finally the pumpkins are ready for Halloween. Her sisters choose smooth, round pumpkins to carve, but Little Nell likes a bumpy little one best. Sarah and Lizzie jeer, "It's bumpy and little and ugly!" But Little Nell perseveres. With help from her animal friends, she scoops and carves it into a wonderful jack-o'-lantern! This sweet tale shows that jack-o'-lanterns, like people, come in all shapes and sizes, and that BIG ideas and a BIG heart resound in even the smallest of us.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2–Little Nell, introduced in The Biggest, Best Snowman (Scholastic, 1998), returns with BIG Mama, BIG Sarah, and BIG Lizzie. It's Halloween, and the three siblings are looking for pumpkins to carve into jack-o'-lanterns. Little Nell's selection is deemed too small and ugly by her sisters. Not to be deterred, Little Nell enlists the help of Reindeer, Hare, and Bear Cub and creates a special jack-o'-lantern that can proudly take its place on the porch. As BIG Mama says, Jack-o'-lanterns come in all shapes and sizes!, a line that can be reassuringly applied to children as well. Reminiscent of Charlie Brown's devotion to his scraggly Christmas tree, Little Nell's story is just as satisfying, stressing the worth of a child's handiwork and the value of creating. The colorful cartoons provide the perfect complement. This is a holiday story that can be used year round; it's an excellent choice for reading aloud, both in a group setting or one-on-one.–Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Little Nell, who first appeared in The Biggest, Best Snowman (1998), is back in another story about an independent, young sibling. Nell is dwarfed by her sisters, BIG Lizzie and BIG Sarah, and by her mother, BIG Mama. At Halloween, Lizzie and Sarah choose huge, smooth pumpkins, while Nell selects the small, lumpy runt of the vine. Her sisters dismiss it as too "bumpy and little and ugly," and Nell withers under the criticism. Then her animal friends appear, and using antlers and beaks as tools, they help her carve a winning face on her pumpkin, earning Mama's praise and delight. Once again, Cuyler and Hillenbrand create a warm, empowering story about a youngest sister's struggles. Cuyler's infectious, repetitive text, with its recurrent use of BIG, is perfectly paced for participatory read-alouds, and Hillenbrand's cheery, whimsical mixed-media illustrations show Little Nell's perspective, moving from images of giant, looming figures to scenes with a more balanced scale at the story's triumphant end. A reassuring story about individuality, friendship, and finding beauty in the imperfect and unusual. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439528356
• ISBN-13: 978-0439528351
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,204 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful little story, October 13, 2009

By 

Steven R. McEvoy "MCWPP" (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin (Paperback)

This is a wonderful little story book. It is the story of Little Nell who lives with Big Mama, Big Sarah and Big Lizzie. When they are sent to the pumpkin patch to find a pumpkin to carve into a jack-o'-lantern the older girls mock the pumpkin Little Nell likes best. She is left there crying when some of her woodland friends come upon her. They help her carve the pumpkin she likes and her Mom likes it too. It is a great little story about difference. Well illustrated with a charming look and feel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful children's book, November 14, 2007

By 

L. Friesen - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin (Hardcover)

My grandson wants this book read to him every time he visits my home. It is a charming little story!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pumpkins, like us, can come in all shapes and sizes!, September 25, 2006

By 

I am my son's Mom! (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bumpy Little Pumpkin (Hardcover)

A wonderful, fun and simple to read story for my 3 year old son. He can't wait to go to a pumpkin patch to pick his own "bumpy little pumpkin".