Pumpkin Jack [Library Binding]

Will Hubbell (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up

The first pumpkin Tim ever carved was fierce and funny, and he named it Jack. When Halloween was over and the pumpkin was beginning to rot, Tim set it out in the garden and throughout the weeks he watched it change. Its skin shriveled and it became flatter. After the winter snow, all that was left was a stem, some seeds, and a crumpled pumpkin skin. But in the spring there was another change--a plant began to grow! Tim watered the vines, and by the following Halloween, he had a yard full of pumpkins. He gave all but one away. Carving the face into his new pumpkin, Tim saw an old, familiar friend--Jack.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-A simple, appealing selection for storytimes. When Tim carves his first pumpkin, he names it Jack. When it finally begins to decay, he puts it in the garden rather than in the trash bin. As the months go by, Jack grows moldy, sinks into the leaves, hides in the snow, and finally sprouts a new plant. By the next fall, there are plenty of pumpkins for Tim to share at school. He keeps just one for himself and when he finishes carving it, he says "Welcome back, Jack!" The plant's cycle throughout the seasons is told in a satisfying, straightforward fashion. Hubbell uses colored pencils with solvent wash effects to create vibrant double-page spreads that bring the story to life. These pictures complement the text, which flows nicely with its own descriptive details. Readers can hear the crinkle of old leaves, smell the earthy odors of the garden, and breathe in the crisp air of the first frosty day of autumn. Any child who has had to throw away a beloved jack-o'-lantern will appreciate this fine offering.
Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. Tim loves the jack-o'-lantern he has carved, and he keeps it long after Halloween. When it begins to rot, he lays it in the garden, where it decomposes all winter. In the spring, a sprout appears. Jack waters and weeds the plant until fall, when he harvests the pumpkins, gives them to his friends, and carves a new jack-o'-lantern for himself. Satisfying and surprisingly varied in approach and perspective, Hubbell's colored pencil drawings illustrate the simple story in a series of well-imagined scenes that focus both on Tim and on the many stages of his pumpkin plant. The narrative flows along naturally with the progression of the pumpkin through the seasons. One of the best fictional picture books to follow the cycle of a plant, this would be a good choice for reading aloud. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Library Binding: 32 pages
• Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807566659
• ISBN-13: 978-0807566657
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,922,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Follows the Life Cycle of a Jack o Lantern with Feeling, October 22, 2000

By 

Jill Bredal (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pumpkin Jack (Library Binding)

This is a great little story, far removed from the frightful and cutie-pie ones that are so prevalent at Halloween. Pumpkin Jack is a jack-o-lantern who gradually collapses and dies after Halloween, as all do. We see the little boy through the seasons of his year, occasionally reminded of the old jack-0-lantern. In the spring, a tiny vine begins to grow where the old jack died. The vine, of course, grows pumpkins, which, in the fall, the boy gives away--all but one. Fine watercolor illustrations, which in some places are a bit rough, but the story more than makes up for them. This is what the death of nature in the autumn is all about, beautifully told, with a message of renewal in the end.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful story!, October 20, 2006

By 

C.S. (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pumpkin Jack (Paperback)

My son's kindergarten teacher read this to them this week, and my son and I fell in love with it! A very different story for Halloween, and one that will have your child(ren) wanting to put THEIR jack-o-lantern in the garden instead of the trash, just to see what happens. Terrific story, beautiful illustrations - I'm here to buy several copies to give away as gifts.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pumpkin Jack - Beautiful and Touching, July 1, 2000

By 

Sheldon Fishman (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pumpkin Jack (Library Binding)

Pumpkin Jack is a magnificiantly drawn children's book. It's one of the books that you can relish viewing repeatedly. Very good feature since I anticipate having to read this out loud over and over again to enchanted children. The story is excellent.