When his beloved jack-o'-lantern starts to decompose, Tim puts it outside and watches it transform from pumpkin—to seed—to pumpkin again. 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. By spring, a plant began to grow! Will Hubbell's gentle story and beautifully detailed illustrations give an intimate look at the cycle of life.
The beloved Halloween story about a stemless pumpkin who dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern, from the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of A Hungry Lion, is now available in board book format! Stumpkin is the most handsome pumpkin on the block. He’s as orange as a traffic cone! Twice as round as a basketball! He has no bad side! He’s the perfect choice for a Halloween jack-o-lantern. There’s just one problem—Stumpkin has a stump, not a stem. And no one seems to want a stemless jack-o-lantern for their window. As Halloween night approaches, more and more of his fellow pumpkins leave, but poor Stumpkin remains. Will anyone give Stumpkin his chance to shine?
The amazing transformation of Jack from grinning pumpkin to mold-mottled wreckage to hopeful green shoot tells the story of decomposition. Features a teacher guide.
"Narrator Polly Collier is very good. Her strong, clear voice makes her sound much like a teacher, and I appreciated her explanation to young listeners that she would be reading the text portion of a picture book...It's a wonderful book, full of interesting trivia..." - AudioFile
Pumpkins can be baked in a pie. Pumpkins can be carved into jack-o'-lanterns. Pumpkin seeds can be roasted for a healthy snack. But how does a tiny seed turn into a big pumpkin? Read and find out what a pumpkin seed needs to help it grow!
Turn each page to see a different side of Halloween. Ordinary things we see everyday decide to be extraordinary on one special night. Sing the words to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It" for an interactive experience.
Seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other produce from local farms play an important part of a healthy, ethical diet. Encouraging children to eat local food in harmony with the seasons, Patient for Pumpkins tells the story of T.J., a boy who accompanies his father to the farmers' market and enjoys the changes in fruits and vegetables as the year progresses. Families looking to introduce the concept of seasonal availability of produce to young children will be delighted by this children's book by Linda L. Knoll, a lifelong resident of Northern California who is a professionally trained artist with a teaching credential. In Patient for Pumpkins, young T.J. attends the farmers' market with his father, going to and from the market throughout the seasons, first savoring broccoli and berries, then onions and potatoes, then late summer tomatoes, all the while anticipating the pumpkins and asking when they'll be ready. His father reminds him of the value of patience and what a wonderful reward it will be once the pumpkins are finally available. Alongside this richly illustrated story are informative sidebars, describing and illustrating the ongoing development of the pumpkin patch back at the farm, highlighting the parts of the pumpkin plant and their various stages of growth in the months leading up to the October harvest. When autumn arrives and the pumpkins finally make it to the farmers' market, T.J. selects his favorite to take home. A sidebar goes on to explain how the farmers plow the leftover vines back into the land for the next season's crops. A checklist of fruits and vegetables commonly available at farmers' markets is provided at the end of the book to encourage children to sample new produce and develop healthy eating habits.
