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Summary
Summary
Growing up on Mimi and Papa's farm, Peter knows a lot about caring for pumpkins. One summer Peter finds a lonely pumpkin all by itself in the field, and with his tender care, the pumpkin flourishes. By autumn, it's the very best pumpkin of all, and Peter wants to keep it for himself. But when a young girl shows up at the farm in quest of a perfect pumpkin, will Peter pass on his prized pumpkin and gain a friend? From the bestselling creators of Reindeer Christmas and A Snowman Named Just Bob , this enchanting story is filled with the magic of autumn and friendship.
Author Notes
Mark Kimball Moulton is a published author of children's books.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Moulton and Good team up for a tender autumn story, written in well-turned prose. Peter has been taking special care of a lonely little pumpkin on his grandparents' farm. When bookish Meg, a fan of The Secret Garden, moves in next door, he befriends her and they share "the very best pumpkin." The gentle story is complemented by glowing, folksy illustrations rendered in watercolors and artfully enhanced with instant coffee and bleach. The simply drawn, wide-eyed characters; country setting; and warm palette echo Joan Walsh Anglund's and Mary Englebreit's cozy worlds. A final page, "Peter's Guide to Growing Your Own Very Best Pumpkin," is a welcome extension for at-home gardeners.-Amy Rowland, Shelter Rock Elementary School, Manhasset, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In warm watercolor spreads, stained with coffee and bleach to folksy, weathered effect, a boy grows pumpkins on a farm with his family. When he finds a pumpkin alone in a field, he tends to it, too, and his shy neighbor, Meg, secretly observes. When it's time to find homes for the pumpkins, Peter gives Meg the field pumpkin and "just like the pumpkins, their friendship grew and grew and grew." A sweet, drama-free tale of friendship for those seeking softer Halloween fare. Ages 4-8. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Young Peter, who lives with his grandparents on a farm, carefully tends a special pumpkin growing by itself in a nearby meadow. At the same time, a lonely girl moves in next door. Not surprisingly, the children's friendship blossoms in parallel with the pumpkin's growth. Unfussy illustrations in an autumnal color palette set an inviting scene and complement the rather bland text. Copyright 2010 of The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
While working on his grandparents' farm, Peter discovers a long vine, follows it as it winds away from the patch, and finds a small pumpkin all alone in a meadow. Surrounded by weeds, the pumpkin becomes Peter's special project, and he spends so much attention on it he doesn't notice the arrival of the new neighbors and their shy daughter, Meg. Meg watches Peter as he tends the lone pumpkin and is delighted when, after it's grown big and plump, he gives it to her, admitting he knows she has been there all along. The following season, Meg joins Peter, and they tend the pumpkins together. The illustrations, rendered in watercolors mottled by instant coffee and bleach, are full of life and happy moments. The iconic symbols of the season falling leaves, acorns, ripe apples help provide an idyllic autumnal setting for the appealing friendship story. Children will also learn a lot about growing pumpkins along the way.--Perkins, Linda Copyright 2010 Booklist
