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No Dinner!: The Story of the Old Woman and the Pumpkin
An old woman sets off through the forest to visit her granddaughter, when “Boo!” — one by one, out jump a hungry fox, a hungry bear and a hungry tiger. The old woman escapes by telling them she’ll taste even better on the way back, once she’s eaten her dinner. But later on, at her granddaughter’s, she wonders what to do…
Jessica Souhami uses the brilliant colours of India to illustrate her vibrant retelling of a traditional story known all over Southern Asia.
Jessica Souhami uses the brilliant colours of India to illustrate her vibrant retelling of a traditional story known all over Southern Asia.
32 pages, Paperback
First published October 7, 1999
9 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Souhami
30 books4 followersJessica Souhami studied at the Central School of Art and Design which was a public school of fine and applied arts in London, England.
In 1980 she formed Mme Souhami and Co, a travelling puppet company using colourful shadow puppets with a musical accompaniment and a storyteller. Her illustrations, like her puppets, use brilliant colour and bold shapes and her characters leap and swoop across the spreads.
In October 2008 Jessica Souhami, along with other well know illustrators, contributed an artwork which was used in the film, We Are All Born Free. Amnesty International hosted a special launch event for this universal declaration of human rights.
Her many titles for Frances Lincoln Publishers are ‘Sausages!’, ‘In the Dark, Dark Wood’, ‘Baba Yaga and the Stolen Baby’, ‘The Leopard’s Drum’, ‘No Dinner!’, ‘Rama and the Demon King’, ‘The Famous Adventures of a Bird Brained Hen’, ‘The Little, Little House’, ‘Mrs McCool and the Giant Cuchulainn’ and ‘King Pom’ and ‘Foxy’.
Jessica lives in North London.
In 1980 she formed Mme Souhami and Co, a travelling puppet company using colourful shadow puppets with a musical accompaniment and a storyteller. Her illustrations, like her puppets, use brilliant colour and bold shapes and her characters leap and swoop across the spreads.
In October 2008 Jessica Souhami, along with other well know illustrators, contributed an artwork which was used in the film, We Are All Born Free. Amnesty International hosted a special launch event for this universal declaration of human rights.
Her many titles for Frances Lincoln Publishers are ‘Sausages!’, ‘In the Dark, Dark Wood’, ‘Baba Yaga and the Stolen Baby’, ‘The Leopard’s Drum’, ‘No Dinner!’, ‘Rama and the Demon King’, ‘The Famous Adventures of a Bird Brained Hen’, ‘The Little, Little House’, ‘Mrs McCool and the Giant Cuchulainn’ and ‘King Pom’ and ‘Foxy’.
Jessica lives in North London.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 24, 2016
I have read many folktales that have originated from India and this particular tale called “No Dinner!” which was written and illustrated by Jessica Souhami was really interesting to me as the heroine of the story (a frail old woman) thinks of a creative way to outwit the dangers in the forest!
The story starts off with a frail old woman going to visit her granddaughter on the other side of the forest. But first, the old woman has to avoid all the dangers of the forest which includes meeting up with a wolf, a bear and a tiger.
Can the old woman make it to her granddaughter’s home without getting eaten by the dangers of the forest?
Read this book to find out!
Jessica Souhami has done a great job at writing and illustrating this story as the old woman was written in an extremely clever way, especially with how she dealt with the wolf, the bear and the tiger through her journey to her granddaughter’s home! I also liked the way that Jessica Souhami wrote the relationship between the old woman and her granddaughter (although a bit brief) as it shows that the granddaughter and the old woman care for each other and are also both shown to be extremely clever when dealing with the dangers of the forest. Jessica Souhami’s artwork is extremely cute and creative to look at as the characters are not drawn with black outlines that would define their shapes as the natural colors of the characters shows their shapes instead. I also loved the images of the bear, the wolf and the tiger as they all look truly threatening as they hover over the old woman and some of their facial expressions look a bit menacing.
The reason why I gave this story a four star rating was because I felt that the characters were a bit too flat. I felt that there should have been more done with the characters, such as seeing more of the old woman’s relationship with her granddaughter or maybe see the old woman engage in some mind games with the animals to expand more on her clever nature.
Overall, “No Dinner!” is a cute book about cleverness and trickery that children will enjoy! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the scenes of the old woman meeting up with the dangerous animals of the forest might scare smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
The story starts off with a frail old woman going to visit her granddaughter on the other side of the forest. But first, the old woman has to avoid all the dangers of the forest which includes meeting up with a wolf, a bear and a tiger.
Can the old woman make it to her granddaughter’s home without getting eaten by the dangers of the forest?
Read this book to find out!
Jessica Souhami has done a great job at writing and illustrating this story as the old woman was written in an extremely clever way, especially with how she dealt with the wolf, the bear and the tiger through her journey to her granddaughter’s home! I also liked the way that Jessica Souhami wrote the relationship between the old woman and her granddaughter (although a bit brief) as it shows that the granddaughter and the old woman care for each other and are also both shown to be extremely clever when dealing with the dangers of the forest. Jessica Souhami’s artwork is extremely cute and creative to look at as the characters are not drawn with black outlines that would define their shapes as the natural colors of the characters shows their shapes instead. I also loved the images of the bear, the wolf and the tiger as they all look truly threatening as they hover over the old woman and some of their facial expressions look a bit menacing.
The reason why I gave this story a four star rating was because I felt that the characters were a bit too flat. I felt that there should have been more done with the characters, such as seeing more of the old woman’s relationship with her granddaughter or maybe see the old woman engage in some mind games with the animals to expand more on her clever nature.
Overall, “No Dinner!” is a cute book about cleverness and trickery that children will enjoy! I would recommend this book to children ages five and up since the scenes of the old woman meeting up with the dangerous animals of the forest might scare smaller children.
Review is also on: Rabbit Ears Book Blog
August 6, 2018
4 Stars
January 18, 2014
This is a really fun read. The book is centred around a very frail old lady that is making her way through the forest in order to get to her granddaughters house. However on her way she bumps into many animals, such as a big terrifying lion and a cunning wolf, that all want to eat her. She tells them that on her way back she will be nice and fat and they should wait to eat her then. On her way home the grandma has a plan and decides to roll herself through the forest in a giant pumpkin to avoid being eaten. Most of the animals fail to notice that she is in fact in the pumpkin but the fox realises this.. I won't however tell you how the story ends but lets just say she is a very clever grandma.
This is a great story full of colourful illustrations and bold text. You can read this book to the children and make it a very enjoyable, engaging read by facilitating conversation through questioning the children about what they think will happen next as well as getting them to create the noises the animal characters make. I really enjoyed the story, illustrations and the fact that certain text was illustrated in a bold font. This would be a great read for early years or year 1 children.
This is a great story full of colourful illustrations and bold text. You can read this book to the children and make it a very enjoyable, engaging read by facilitating conversation through questioning the children about what they think will happen next as well as getting them to create the noises the animal characters make. I really enjoyed the story, illustrations and the fact that certain text was illustrated in a bold font. This would be a great read for early years or year 1 children.
October 24, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect from this story. I was pleasantly surprised. It has a very engaging narrative that is perfect for reading aloud and colorful illustrations depicting an Indian landscape.
I've been reading a lot of fairy tales and folk tales recently and this is a good one. It's a retelling of a classic south Asian story, and it was a new one for me.
It has a lot of repetition, which children like and it has a good story of a grandma outwitting the creatures who would want to eat her.
We really enjoyed reading this book together.
I've been reading a lot of fairy tales and folk tales recently and this is a good one. It's a retelling of a classic south Asian story, and it was a new one for me.
It has a lot of repetition, which children like and it has a good story of a grandma outwitting the creatures who would want to eat her.
We really enjoyed reading this book together.
August 22, 2011
I read this for a library storytime this summer with a theme of folk tales from around the world. This is a folk tale from India and is like a cross between Little Red Riding Hood and Three Billy Goats Gruff with the grandma being the one braving the danger of the animals while going through the woods.
July 13, 2015
Finding a folktale to read for my toddlers at storytime can be a challenge. This book is an exception- variety of animals for the kids to help make their noises, a silly old lady as the protagonist, and a pumpkin.
October 8, 2020
I loved this book. The repetition and pattern is great for the classroom and for reading for pleasure.
It is a lovely book with great, expressive pictures. I love this story and think it could be a great comparison to little red riding hood, because the stories are similar, yet wildly different.
It would be interesting to tell the story from other characters perspectives. Or to write about what happened to the bear, tiger or wolf when they had no dinner.
Perhaps the children could write a letter to the granddaughter to explain how she got home safely.
This story would be a great opportunity for using drama, puppets, story stones, etc. whilst reading aloud.
It is a lovely book with great, expressive pictures. I love this story and think it could be a great comparison to little red riding hood, because the stories are similar, yet wildly different.
It would be interesting to tell the story from other characters perspectives. Or to write about what happened to the bear, tiger or wolf when they had no dinner.
Perhaps the children could write a letter to the granddaughter to explain how she got home safely.
This story would be a great opportunity for using drama, puppets, story stones, etc. whilst reading aloud.
September 30, 2021
This is sort-of a reverse Red Riding Hood Story where a grandmother goes to her granddaughter's and must dodge a wolf, a bear, and a tiger who all want to eat her. She puts them off by saying she'll be fatter after her visit. Then to get home she hides in a pumpkin and outsmarts them all. I'm not sure why the animals won't eat the pumpking but it's fun. Recommended for those who love Red Riding Hood stories.
October 17, 2017
This is a great read aloud, perfect for an October storytime!
December 9, 2017
Same story as Grandma and the Great Gourd by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
September 10, 2025
The story was cute and easy to understand, but I just didn’t feel very drawn to it.
February 12, 2026
Lying to animals is lying to your ancestors, just ask a Darwinist.
May 1, 2016
This picture book is suggested for ages 3 to 8, but I still love reading it despite my children being teenagers now. The adventure begins with a frail and thin old woman who lives on the edge of a forest in India. She longs to visit her granddaughter who lives on the other side of the woods. The conflict happens because the old woman is afraid of the fierce, hungry, and sly animals awaiting her among the trees. She know they all want to eat her. Bravely, she sets off on her journey taping her walking stick. Out jumps a wolf who threatens to eat her up, but she outwits him this time by suggesting he wait until she is plump (after visiting her granddaughter and feasting on delicious food). The wolf agrees, and then she repeats this trick with a bear and a tiger. The old woman makes it all the way to her granddaughter's home an does, in fact, eat until she becomes plump. With a sly plan, her granddaughter puts her into an extra-large pumpkin and rolls the old woman into the woods. The grandmother can fool the tiger and the bear into thinking she is a talking pumpkin, but the sly wolf is a littler more suspicious than the other animals. You must read the book to see if the old woman tricks the wolf or if he finally gets his meal!
The illustrations are colorful but simple for young children. They bring the flavor of India and Asia alive with warm colors and shapes, especially the giant pumpkin. The pictures bring an element of fun to the story as children can see the changes in the woman as she grows from thin to plump. The animals she matches wits with are also well depicted. The gigantic pumpkin is exciting and funny to see.
While this story is fun to read in the picture book format, it can easily transfer back to the original oral version of folktale. The language is fun, rolls off the tongue, and is easy for children to understand. The plot is fast paced, full of exciting action, and rewards good over evil. Children and adults can learn to use creative and critical thinking skills. This book is prefect for creative crafts for children to do and making yummy recipes to eat.
The illustrations are colorful but simple for young children. They bring the flavor of India and Asia alive with warm colors and shapes, especially the giant pumpkin. The pictures bring an element of fun to the story as children can see the changes in the woman as she grows from thin to plump. The animals she matches wits with are also well depicted. The gigantic pumpkin is exciting and funny to see.
While this story is fun to read in the picture book format, it can easily transfer back to the original oral version of folktale. The language is fun, rolls off the tongue, and is easy for children to understand. The plot is fast paced, full of exciting action, and rewards good over evil. Children and adults can learn to use creative and critical thinking skills. This book is prefect for creative crafts for children to do and making yummy recipes to eat.
May 8, 2009
Because of this book's ugly cover and dull title, I hadn't given it a glance until India Day at my school. Opening it up was like cracking open a rock and finding out it's a geode.
A very, very old traditional tale is told in a fluid and charming way in No Dinner. The story is repetitive but the threat of violence in the form of the grandma being eaten keeps the kids rapt. She manages to outsmart them, too, that crafty old broad!
The strangest thing I found when reading this out loud was that the kids didn't laugh when the old woman pretended she was a pumpkin when talking from inside of it. I found that detail to be hilarious and one of the reasons I most liked the story. They loved it anyway.
A very, very old traditional tale is told in a fluid and charming way in No Dinner. The story is repetitive but the threat of violence in the form of the grandma being eaten keeps the kids rapt. She manages to outsmart them, too, that crafty old broad!
The strangest thing I found when reading this out loud was that the kids didn't laugh when the old woman pretended she was a pumpkin when talking from inside of it. I found that detail to be hilarious and one of the reasons I most liked the story. They loved it anyway.
April 23, 2010
Another reviewer compared this story to Little Red Ridinghood. I can see the comparison, but I think it's more akin to the Three Billy Goats Gruff.
An old woman travels through the (scary!) forest to see her daughter. On her way she avoids three carnivores by claiming they should wait to eat her until she's big and fat, on her way back, something they amiably agree to.
But then she goes and gets big and fat! How can she escape them now? Well, she can hide in a pumpkin and ROLL home, right? The best part has to be where she ALMOST tricks the wolf, but then the wolf realizes PUMPKINS DO NOT TALK. Oh boy. (Luckily, like Hansel and Gretel, she has a stick to convince him she's still skinny. Whew!)
Really funny, and nobody gets eaten except some food.
An old woman travels through the (scary!) forest to see her daughter. On her way she avoids three carnivores by claiming they should wait to eat her until she's big and fat, on her way back, something they amiably agree to.
But then she goes and gets big and fat! How can she escape them now? Well, she can hide in a pumpkin and ROLL home, right? The best part has to be where she ALMOST tricks the wolf, but then the wolf realizes PUMPKINS DO NOT TALK. Oh boy. (Luckily, like Hansel and Gretel, she has a stick to convince him she's still skinny. Whew!)
Really funny, and nobody gets eaten except some food.
August 11, 2010
How does an old woman traveling through the woods outsmart three different wild animals who would like to eat her for dinner?
October 1, 2010
Funny story!!! I cann not wait to read this to my group for Fairy Tale Story Time.
September 1, 2016
India style with clever grandmother (and grand daughter since it is her idea how to get home again) outsmarting the hungry carnivores in the forest.
October 24, 2008
trickster, food
traditional story told throughout southern Asia
traditional story told throughout southern Asia
April 25, 2017
Read to a Year 1 class. They loved it and made links with Little Red Riding Hood and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews