No Dinner!: The Story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin [Hardcover]

Jessica Souhami (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000 | Age Level: 5 and up

Jessica Souhami's crisp retelling and vibrant illustrations bring to life a traditional story told throughout southern Asia. Many dangers lie waiting in the woods for a frail, old woman. Fierce, hungry animals in search of their next meal; wolves, bears, and tigers ready to pounce. But, as this outlandish tale proves, if the woman is resourceful and brave and happens to have an equally clever granddaughter, no wolf, bear, or tiger stands a chance against her! Between the crisp text that begs to be read out loud and quirky drawings done in the brilliant colors of India, young readers will cheer as one old lady outwits her beastly adversaries!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An unusual pumpkin does double duty as both delectable dish and handy disguise in this retelling of an Indian folktale. Feeling especially frail and thin, an old woman longs to visit her granddaughter, but a forest filled with vicious, hungry animals separates the two. When she can wait no longer, the old woman decides to make the perilous trip anyhow. Along the way, she convinces a tiger, a bear and a fox that, being as thin as she is, she wouldn't be worth eating; the animals should wait to eat her on the way home when she'll be "nice and fat." The woman arrives safely at her granddaughter's and feasts until she is satiated and plump. For safety's sake, the granddaughter suggests that the woman hide in an enormous, hollowed-out pumpkin and roll her way home. The squash suit (and some quick-thinking) serve the woman well, leaving the forest animals with no dinner. Souhami's (The Black Geese) watercolor-and-charcoal compositions--grainy-textured swatches of color, with characters often peeking out from unusual perspectives--give a tale with a familiar feel some snap. Ages 5-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-In this retelling of a folktale from India, an old woman must travel through a forest of fierce animals to visit her granddaughter. Since she is nothing but "skin and bone," she is able to persuade the animals not to eat her until she returns, when she will be "nice and fat" from eating. When it is time for her to go home, she climbs into a huge pumpkin and rolls through the forest, past the tiger and the bear. However, the wolf isn't fooled by talking pumpkins. The cunning old woman tricks him by offering her thin, hard cane when he asks to feel her leg. She escapes as the animal howls, "Bother! Bother! Bother! No Dinner!" This colorful story presents many interactive opportunities for storytime use. Children can join in the repetition, "Boo!-Old woman, I'm going to eat you up" and the refrain, "-don't be too long. I'm hungry!" Bold colors and simple shapes outlined in black charcoal and placed on stark white backgrounds create a lively, dramatic effect and match the vibrant tone of the tale. A satisfying and delightful retelling that's tailor-made for sharing.
Carolyn Stacey, Jefferson County Public Library, Golden, CO
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Cavendish Children's Books (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761450599
• ISBN-13: 978-0761450597
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,418,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for children from 3 to 7, January 29, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: No Dinner!: The Story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin (Hardcover)

This book tells a similar story of the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood" but with very interesting culture differences. One twist to the plot is that the grandmother visits her granddaughter and she meets three different animals (a wolf, a bear and a tiger) on her way to her granddaughter's house.

My two children like this story but my 3 year old son dearly loves it. The illustrations are colorful and the story line is cute but predictable. (I think that is why my son loves it and has almost memorized it). I would not be a bit surprised if this book becomes a new classic.

4.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!, April 23, 2010

By 

Ulyyf "Connie" (NYC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: No Dinner! (Paperback)

Another reviewer compared this story to Little Red Ridinghood. I can see the comparison, but I think it's more akin to the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

An old woman travels through the (scary!) forest to see her daughter. On her way she avoids three carnivores by claiming they should wait to eat her until she's big and fat, on her way back, something they amiably agree to.

But then she goes and gets big and fat! How can she escape them now? Well, she can hide in a pumpkin and ROLL home, right? The best part has to be where she ALMOST tricks the wolf, but then the wolf realizes PUMPKINS DO NOT TALK. Oh boy. (Luckily, like Hansel and Gretel, she has a stick to convince him she's still skinny. Whew!)

Really funny, and nobody gets eaten except some food.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous for storytime, October 27, 2008

By 

Grace Sabini "book fish" (cincinnati, oh) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Dinner! (Paperback)

This book has become a fast favorite in my preschool classroom. There is a lot that can be done with voices and dramatic play (acting out the story, dressing up in costumes, using puppets), and the children absolutely adore the repititious phrases. Though it's a pumpkin story, it's not Halloween based, so it can be used year-round. Many many literacy extensions can be built off this story as well. Last but not least, it's incredibly fun to read as the teacher!