Peapod Picks…a Pumpkin

As I was (shockingly) disorganised and late with this, I debated just leaving it til next year but then I remembered that first and foremost this blog is for me so if I want to post a Halloween post in early November then I can!

I’ll repost it before the event next year too though!

I posted last year with some of our favourite Halloween picture books, but I’ve a new one to add to the stack…

First she said it was a belated Halloween post now there’s a Christmas book… has she finally lost it?

We are huge fans of Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht and Jarvis, so when I heard there was a pumpkin edition coming out I was really excited.

And it didn’t disappoint! Just as Pick a Pine Tree takes us through the experience of choosing and decorating a Christmas tree and celebrates all the festivities that go alongside it, Pick a Pumpkin takes us through the choosing, carving and lighting of a pumpkin/Jack O’Lantern and all the excitement of Halloween fun with family and friends.

With Patricia Toht’s descriptive and evocative rhyming text perfectly matched with Jarvis’ equally vivid, lively and atmospheric illustrations, it’s such a wonderful encapsulation of the holiday.

One of my favourite spreads is the page about carving the pumpkin and the many different styles and designs it could have.

But I also love the way it takes you through the day – from selecting the pumpkin to carving to leaving it out to ‘guard the house’ while trick or treating. It would be a wonderful book to read at the end of your own Halloween celebrations and/or as a springboard to looking and talking about how it’s celebrated, how this varies, where the traditions originate etc etc.

It was the perfect end to our day – we spent a gorgeous, crisp autumn day wrapped up warm choosing a pumpkin, then carving it, getting dressed up and preparing for trick or treaters before reading this at bedtime, and it’s one I’ll be pulling out every year as a Halloween read.

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