Big Pumpkin

by Erica Silverman, S.D. Schindler (Illustrator)

A little bat uses brains over brawn in this not-so-scary Halloween picture book.

The witch has grown the biggest pumpkin ever, and now she wants to make herself a pumpkin pie for Halloween. But the pumpkin is so big she can't get it off the vine.

It’s so big the ghost can’t move it, either. Neither can the vampire, nor the mummy. It looks as if there’ll be no pumpkin pie for Halloween, until along comes the bat with an idea to save the day.

How can the tiny bat succeed where bigger and strong spooky creatures have failed? You'll be surprised!

Genres: Halloween, Picture Books, Childrens, Holiday, Fiction, Storytime, Fantasy

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 31, 1992

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is featured on Halloween Reads for Children @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2017/...

As soon as we saw this on the Halloween table at Barnes and Noble, we had to grab it. It a book about a witch who grows a giant pumpkin! She plants the seed and watches it grow with plans to make a pumpkin pie, but the pumpkin is so gigantic, she can’t even remove it from the vine. The ghost thinks he can help, then the vampire, then the mummy, but not one of them is strong enough. Will a little bat be the answer? Follow along in the story to see if they can devise a plan as a team and finally enjoy some delicious pumpkin pie and good company.

We loved the story and colorful illustrations which aren’t scary at all. It has the perfect amount of text per page for young readers. It’s great with or without the audio and if you’d like, you can see and hear the book on YouTube. The ending is a wonderful surprise.

My rating on this one is 4****

[Mariah Roze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute! My students really enjoyed this book and got into it.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is adorable. How can I not love a witch and other assorted Halloween time creatures who say “Drat!” And how can I not love pumpkin pie as the goal everyone is striving for. This tale uses repetition wonderfully, and shows the power of teamwork, and of sharing. It’s a great selection for Halloween. Only the most fearful child will be afraid of the witch, ghost, vampire, mummy, and bat.

The illustrations are really wonderful. They’re very colorful and full of dense details.

Great last page, though not a huge surprise.

I smiled a lot as I was reading this book.

[Set · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book, it is very Halloweeny. The colors are nice and the story is original. It's about a witch that grew a pumpkin to make pumpkin pie for Halloween. The pumpkin is too big and she needs help from her friends to bring it home.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun cumulative tale that just begs to be read aloud, "Big Pumpkin" is a story I would probably have loved as a kid, with its fun cast of Halloweeny characters and the repetition that would help me read right along. Even now, I found it quite entertaining as a ghost, vampire, mummy, and bat all try to help a witch pull her BIG pumpkin off the vine so that she can make pumpkin pie. The ending is absolutely adorable! :-) The pictures are quite fun. There's a great message here about teamwork and, of course, I am now craving some pumpkin pie!

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an awesome story! All my kids loved this one, the 6 yr old as well as my preschoolers. My 3 yr old twins are still scared of a lot, especially Halloween stuff, and when they saw the witch I could see the hesitation in their eyes. But they loved it once they realized it was about all the scary characters of Halloween working together! So much fun and they fought over who was going to read it first later on. Lots of fun! Highly recommended!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hoping to make her favorite treat (a pumpkin pie, of course!), a witch plants a pumpkin seed in her garden in this charming Halloween tale, carefully tending the plant which springs from it, and watching it as it slowly develops into a massive gourd. But when the pumpkin proves too large to move by herself, the witch is forced, much against her inclination, to accept the offers of help made by a passing ghost, vampire and mummy. Despite these ghoulish assistants, the pumpkin stubbornly stays put, until a tiny bat flies by, and has a bright idea...

As a confirmed pumpkin-pie lover (I also enjoy pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, roasted pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin whoopie pies!), it was a foregone conclusion that I would appreciate Erica Silverman's Big Pumpkin, which introduces the traditional monsters of the season in a gentle, non-threatening way. The message of the book - that it is more effective, as well as more fun, to work together - is a welcome one, particularly as it doesn't overwhelm the story itself. The accompanying illustrations, done by S.D. Schindler in gouache, are spooky (but not too spooky) and fun. All in all, this is a winner, when it comes to Halloween fare for younger readers, and I'm glad that it was chosen as one of our October selections, in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme is witches and monsters!

[The Book Consultant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This poor witch just wanted to make a pumpkin pie, but the pumpkin she planted grew way too big and she couldn’t get it off the vine! So along come all the typical Halloween creatures to help!

I’m somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, but I’ll round up. This was a fun Halloween read, but for some reason just wasn’t my favorite. The story was ok, the art was ok. It just didn’t grab me the way others have. Still, a fun read for kids during the holiday!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about a witch trying to make a pumpkin pie. The pumpkin is so big no one can move it until they work together. The smallest of they crew knew how to get the job done.

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman, illustrated by S.D. Schindler is a fun Halloween book about a witch who can't get pull her big pumpkin off the vine without some help. I had forgotten reading this, until the Goodreads Picture Book Club selected it and I reread it.

Although witch "pulled and she tugged and she pulled...that pumpkin just sat.' Along came a ghost. 'I am bigger than you and stronger, too,' said he. 'Let me try.' Well, the witch wanted that pumpkin for herself, but she needed help since Halloween was just hours away.

After ghost comes vampire, mummy and finally bat, who suggests that they all pull together. The vine snaps and the pumpkin bounces down to the witch's door. The witch quickly makes and shares the pumpkin pie with her guests. Sorry to see them go, the witch plants more pumpkin seeds for next year.

Silverman's text has a strong rhythm and repetition that children and adults will enjoy, and which makes it a popular read-aloud choice. Apparently there is a soundtrack that goes with the book.

Schindler's colorful illustrations are rendered in gouache on colored paper and really reinforce the text. The humorous, not scary, illustations convey movement well. I love the dapper vampire, the details on the witch's hat and robe, and the characters pulling on the stubborn pumpkin and vine. My favorite pictures include the title page with witch reading Spook's Spring Seed catalog, everyone falling when the pumpkin finally snaps off the vine, and the illustrations of everyone eating the pumpkin pie.

This tale offers opportunities to use different voices for the characters. I recommend this for school and library collections.

For ages 3 to 7, Halloween, monsters, pumpkins, read-aloud, witches, cooperation, teamwork, repetition, and fans of Erica Silverman and S.D. Schindler.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun cumulative story that is loosely based on Gigantic Turnip by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy. The illustrations are fun, the monsters aren't scary, and the repetition in the narrative will entertain children. The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but overall, it's a humorous story and we enjoyed reading it together.

This book was featured as one of the selections for the October 2011 Witches and Monsters-themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.

[Crystal Marcos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Pumpkin is a great pick of the theme "witches and monsters" from the Children's Picture Book Club found here: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

A charming tale of a witch who wanted some pumpkin pie. The pumpkin she had, as the title states, was one big pumpkin! Her dilemma was how to get that huge thing home to make it into pumpkin pie. The story was humorous and it was wonderful to see classic monsters in a friendly story, working together to help the witch. I really enjoyed the highlights used on the pumpkin, it almost seemed to glow off the page in my lighting.

[Gator · Rating 3 out of 5]

The big pumpkin by Erica Silverman, published in 1992. This is a great book to read aloud with some lights on to enjoy the colorful illustrations. It’s a short story with colorful illustrations that can be read in one sitting, the kids will love it, as will the adults. What’s better than a witch, ghost, vampire, mummy and a bat all in one book, and don’t forget a big pumpkin too! Fun read.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when you've got a hankerin' for pumpkin pie, but can't get the main ingredient unstuck from the vine? Well, it helps to have friends who are willing to . . . help, spooky though they may be. A cute, and colorful story about the rewards of cooperation.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this at all, not the story or the writing. The illustrations were okay I guess, not amazing but not bad. I felt it was kind of stupid. I didn't understand the point of the story. It's really random and doesn't make much sense.

A witch planted a pumpkin seed so she could make a pumpkin pie. But she waited until 3 hours before Halloween to even pick the pumpkin, and the pumpkin was gigantic for some reason, which I didn't understand. How did it grow to be so big?

I am really not a fan of repetitive writing. It feels lazy to me to just keep repeating the same lines over and over again throughout the book. I'd rather have new lines each page to keep it fresh and engaging, though I guess when lines are repeated it helps the reader to remember them and invites them to say them aloud from memory.

The witch pulled, tugged and pulled. She pulled hard and then harder. She said drat when she couldn't move it. So then along came a ghost who commented that it was a big pumpkin. The witch replied that it's big and it's hers and it's stuck and Halloween is hours away. She kicked the pumpkin. The ghost said he's bigger and stronger and she said "Hmph!" She thought about pumpkin pie and stepped aside. He pulled, tugged and pulled. He pulled hard and then harder. He said drat when he couldn't move it. A vampire came and said big pumpkin. The witch replied it's big and it's hers and it's stuck and Halloween is hours away. She kicked the pumpkin. The vampire said he's bigger and stronger and they said "Hmph!" They thought about pie and stepped aside. He pulled, tugged and pulled. He pulled hard and then harder. He said drat. A mummy came and said big pumpkin. The witch said it's big and it's hers and it's stuck and Halloween is hours away. She kicked it. The mummy said he's bigger and stronger than all of them. They said "Hmph!" They thought about pie and stepped aside. She pulled, tugged and pulled. She pulled hard and pulled harder. She said drat. A bat came and said big pumpkin. The witch didn't say anything. They all laughed at the bat. He said he may not be big or strong but he has an idea. They all said "Hmph!" They thought about pie and they all did it.

The witch held onto the pumpkin and they all grabbed onto the one in front of them and pulled. They pulled, tugged and pulled. They pulled hard and harder. The pumpkin came loose and the witch said drat. The pumpkin tumbled down the hill and landed before her house.
Snap, whoosh! and "Thump-bump, thump-bump, thump-bump" were used. I am not a fan of onomatopoeia at all.

She made pumpkin pie and they all ate some. They all had to leave and she said drat and planted another seed. You don't plant pumpkin seeds in the fall, on Halloween, so that glared out at me as not making sense. And I didn't know why she was so upset they left, because she didn't even know them until they helped with her pumpkin, and she'd been going to make pumpkin pie before she ever met them. So she was going to eat it alone. I didn't really get it. So I guess the chances would have to be pretty great for them all to come together and held her with her giant pumpkin again next year.

This story just has no purpose or point, no great message. Unless it's like you accidentally meet people and they become friends you want to see again, so you set up the same circumstance to make it unfold again...or something. I was mildly inspired when the bat said he might not be big and he might not be strong. As someone who is small, it's nice to see that strength and size doesn't always get the job done and that if you don't have those qualities you can make up for it in other ways. His small size didn't matter because he outsmarted all of the other characters and saved the day. So that's the best part about this book, that little bat who used his smarts to show up bigger creatures.

[Nicolás · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars.
No book with its fleshed out characters, philosophical themes and incredible use of verisimilitude has ever had such a profound effect on me and the way I, and millions of other people have lived our lives. If we sent out one, just one book into outer space for aliens to find, I would argue that this deserves to be it.

I don’t think there’s any other way you can put it, it such a foundational book for the horror genre. It is to horror what The Lord of the Rings was to Fantasy or Foundation to Science Fiction. If you want to get to the roots of horror, you have to dig deeper than Dracula, Carmilla, Edgar Allan Poe, Phantom of the Opera or Algernon Blackwood. And when you dig that deep, you find this terrifying and thought-provoking Story.

Now let’s talk about theme and Character. The Witch in this story goes through a tremendous character arc- in fact, I think this might be the origin of the term “dynamic character”. She grows from her experiences before ultimately triumphing in the end by releasing the pumpkin from the vine. The Witch’s struggle to remove the pumpkin from the vine symbolizes the eternal battle between Humanity and Nature, and how society has affected us.

This was the a truly rewarding read, and a brilliant look at the beginnings of horror. Without this book there would be no Michael Myers, no Freddy Krueger, and no Pennywise.
If you want to be scared- like sleep with the lights on and under the covers with your gun scared- then this is for you.

If you want to see what influenced such masters of horror such as Stephen King and Bram Stoker, this is for you.

And most of all, if you want to delve deep into classic literature, learn what has shaped and changed Humanity, and what has and will be read for generations to come, read this book.

I’d put it up there, on the same level, if not more of books that have shaped, defined and changed us with Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Homer’s The Odyssey, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, George Orwell’s 1984, John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

And if you ask me, these books will feel in good Company next to Big Pumpkin.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a timeless picture book to read as a family or classroom with everyone taking different voices. For ideas on how to read this book in the most fun way, listen to it being read on YouTube. Big Pumpkin is a jovial, non-scary Halloween tale for ages 4-8 highlighting how working together can create the best result.

PYP classrooms showcasing collaboration as an approach-to-learning would enjoy chuckling over the book. ESL readers will benefit from the repetition of 'It's big and it's mine, but it's stuck on the vine, and Halloween's just hours away.' Of course, the solution comes from a most unlikely source, highlighting the need to not make assumptions in decision-making and being open to trying new ideas from unexpected sources.

[Barbara Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text-to-Teaching Connection:

For this book I could do a simple physical education lesson where my students could act out the different characters. First, I would teach them the action words: pumpkin, witch, ghost, vampire, mummy, bat, and drat. Each time these words are said throughout the story, the children would do the action for that word. I would have them in separate groups so they wouldn't have too much to remember. So for a pumpkin, I'd have the students squat down and hold their hands over their head to look like a stem. For the witch, students will laugh like a witch. I would have them say "ohhhhhh" like a ghost. For the vampire, the students will hold their arm over their face like they're hiding behind a cape and then laugh. Mummy's would make themselves look stiff with their arms and legs sticking straight out. The bat one will be students hunched over with their arms looking like wings. And lastly, I would have the word "drat" involve stomping their foot and snapping their fingers.

So, while I am reading the story, the students will perform the action words so we'd be moving around while listening to the story. Afterwords, I would have some pumpkin pie for the kids to try as a little surprise. The witch in the story worked so hard to make pumpkin pie, so it only seems natural to share that with them. I am planning to try this on Wednesday with my Kindergarten students, so hopefully it'll be a big hit!

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely 👻 bootastic!

[Del · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spooky season favourite, my kid loves me doing the voices of the witch, the ghost, the vampire, the mummy, and the bat. And I enjoy it too!

[Ethan’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book when I was a kid.
Bought it for nostalgia and it was still just as fun.

[Shannon]

Not much going for the story, but I loved the illustrations.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Witch, the ghost, the vampire, the mummy, and the bat work together to get the big pumpkin loose. Loved the rhyming!

[Virginia Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and I go way back. I vividly remember my kindergarten teacher reading this to the class via audio tape at the class Halloween party. And the really cool part??? Years later, after graduating H.S, I worked as an aid at my old elementary school. On Halloween I got to help out in the kindergarten class. SAME teacher. SAME audio recording!!! It was legit the coolest, most nostalgic moment and one that I still treasure.

As for the book, it's mostly repetition but still so much fun. There is a good lesson about teamwork and being willing to hear someone out for advice. The illustrations are everything. Perfect for all ages and a must read for the Halloween season.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite Halloween picture book! I could buy nothing but these sorts of books and be perfectly happy. The artwork is completely adorable. The first time I became aware of this book, oddly enough, was when I went to a themed quilt show in which each mini-quilt was a scene from a child's picture book! The quilt that was inspired by this book was amazing. By the time I got the actual book, I was even more excited. It's a cute story, but the artwork is why I bought the book. Happy Halloween!

[Randie D. Camp, M.S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witch planted a seed, watered, weeded, and cared for her growing pumpkin in hopes of making a large pumpkin pie. On Halloween, she attempts to pull the pumpkin off the vine but she's not strong enough. A ghost, vampire, mummy, and bat offer the witch help in this rhythmic, cumulative tale, but can they pull the big pumpkin off the vine?

Fun story for a read aloud and for making predictions or identifying patterns. Silverman adapted this story from the Russian folktale, "The Turnip". Illustrations showcase the traditional colors of Halloween; orange, purple, black, and lime green.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'It's big and it's mine, but it's stuck on the vine, and Halloween's just hours away.'"

What a fun story for Halloween! I love the dark illustrations that make me think of Halloween night, and I love all the festive "scary" Halloween characters. You've got to love the determination too! All the characters try their best to pull the huge pumpkin off the vine so they can have their pumpkin pie. Lots of fun!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't get enough of this book. Too bad it is so hard to find. If you do find it, you HAVE to have the soundtrack that goes with it. It is a treasure to all those preschool and kindergarten teachers, and parents that happen to own it, and they guard their copies with their life! I know I do! It's so fun to pull it out at this time of year, but my kids want to read it all year long.