Pumpkin Jack

Great review of pumpkin cycle set within a cute story about a boy who loves his Jack-o-Lantern. Paired with a homeschool activity about the pumpkin lifecycle that kept my kid engaged.

Fun halloween reading. We even decorated our entry table with this and other good pumpkin books.

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.

My 6 year old son picked this book himself at the library, probably for the colorful, textured drawings but was soon glued to the story of Tim and the pumpkin he named "Jack". The story follows Tim and Jack through a year of seasons and the many physical changes in "Jack" until Jack disintegrates. Later, Tim notices a tiny sprout and later, a whole crop of pumpkins grow! Tim gives them all away except one which he names "Jack" of course.

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.

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.