The Runaway Pumpkin

I get a kick out of this tasty Halloween treat. The three Baxter children happen upon a huge pumpkin and the boy Baxters promptly try to remove the pumpkin from its perch. The pumpkin rolls down a hill and right through town. Round and 'round across the ground Makin a thumpin' bumpin' sound Came that thumpety bumpety thumpin' bumpin' Round and Rolly Runaway Pumpkin The pumpkin knocks over Momma Baxter and Grandpa Baxter. It is just about to mow down Poppa Baxter when Dad comes up with an idea to make a pumpkin bed and cleverly catches the pumpkin. Throughout the story, each Baxter family member has designs on things they would like to do or make with a pumpkin (pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup). In the end, Grandma Baxter makes all of the family members favorite pumpkin recipe and the centerpiece contains the rest of the huge pumpkin, nicely carved into a jack-o-lantern.

I gave this book as a gift to all of the children I know for Halloween. I read it to each of my twins over and over again. They love it and so do I. I never get tired of it : )

I am thrilled to have stumbled upon this terrific tale. The pulse is addictive, so much so I find myself humming it hours later. The illustrations captivate the eye with rich, and humorous details. For instance, when the pumpkin rolls through the chicken coup and knocks Grandpa on his hinny, a chicken finds refuge on top of his head and lays an egg. This makes my son laugh every time. Additionally, when the monstrous pumpkin rolls through the different vistas, one would think the family members might be alarmed, and concerned for their safety, but they're all thinking about the delights Granny will make from the squash. Each has a thought bubble above his head with visions of Granny's pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, or pumpkin bread. We love this book, and so will you.

This has been a family favorite since my then-4-year-old picked it up at the library two years ago. We love to read it out loud -- the "thumpin' bumpin" part is so much fun to repeat -- and also search the pictures for funny bits we missed in previous readings. By now I've read it so many times I could recite it without looking, and I'd still enjoy the clever rhymes. Every fall we invite our local kindergarten kids out to our farm for a hayride and a show-and-tell learning session concerning how corn, pumpkins, and calves grow. The first year I yanked out this book as a time filler, just in case the buses didn't show up in time or the second wagonload took longer than we expected... and it was an enormous hit. So now we read it every year, and it's still a highlight of the trip.

My three year old and I just laugh and laugh when we read this book. It is especially funny read in a southern accent!