Squash & Pumpkin: #SquashGoals

by G.G. McQueen, Michael Slack (illustrator)

It's a pumpkin spice showdown! Acorn Squash wants her fair share of the seasonal spotlight in this a hilarious "odd couple" picture book with plenty of fall flair.

It’s not easy being best friends with Pumpkin. Each fall, she’s everyone’s favorite gourd. The queen of lattes, the ultimate pie, the STAR of autumn—­pumpkin spice is EVERYWHERE!

But now Acorn Squash has #SquashGoals. She’s going to prove she has something to offer too. Voila! It’s Acorn Squash everything!

In this heartwarming and humorous tale of seasonal rivalry, plucky Acorn Squash is determined to step out of Pumpkin's trendy shadow and into the autumnal limelight. 

From a harvest festival booth to an unexpected partnership, this story of friendship and self-discovery will teach kids that everyone has something special to offer, and being someone's favorite can be the best feeling of all.

Join the adventure as Squash and Pumpkin unite, proving that together they are the true spice of the season!

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Friendship, Childrens, Halloween, Humor, Holiday

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations are absolutely fabulous, but the humor and plot in the story will be completely missed by the target audience for picture books (kids 6 and under). The jokes and puns are a lot of fun, for adults! I wouldn't use this book in story time or as a group read aloud, but I might give it a try with a precocious child one-on-one. I'd have to explain a lot of the jokes, but it there's a good message to be had if they understand them.

[Kat Danziger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious children’s book with a positive message just in time for fall. Funny jokes for adults which makes reading it to my kids multiple times a day all the more enjoyable. Grab your pumpkin spice latte (sorry, acorn squash) and a copy of this book and settle in for fall!

[Jessica Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of fantastic puns and the squash is from Des Moines. Love!!

[YSBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squash and Pumpkin are best friends, inseparable for three out of four seasons.  But Pumpkin is the STAR of autumn, and Squash takes a back seat to pies, lattes, and even bisques.  Everyone loves Pumpkin, and the other gourds are tired of it.  So this year Squash (of the acorn variety) is determined to gain equal fame at the Harvest Festival in the form of scented candles and food items like “Squilk” and “Squizza.”  Despite a valiant effort, things look bleak for the green gourd at the fair as she continues to pale in comparison with her round orange bestie, but it seems that Pumpkin is weary of her celebrity status and just wants to hang out with Squash.  They pair up for “a double dose of autumn awesomeness,” and this turns out to be a delicious decision!

There is a lot to laugh about in this pun-filled seasonal story, and readers will likely empathize with Squash’s plight and celebrate the happy ending. The first person narration highlights her range of emotions, from jealousy, to sadness, to joy and describes the ups and downs of her friendship with Pumpkin.  The cute, cartoonish illustrations show the gourds with expressive eyes and mouths and skinny arm and leg stems, and a diverse array of humans at the fair.  Conversations and exclamations are displayed in comic book style speech bubbles.  The artwork also includes a lot of really funny details in the background, which will certainly warrant close inspection by young readers. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Squash & Pumpkin. From the moment I opened it, I was wrapped in fall vibes — the crisp air, the pumpkin patches, the cozy shades of orange and gold. The “overrated pumpkin” narrative had me smiling, because it’s both cheeky and totally relatable.

What made this one special:

It’s very cute. The tone is playful without being silly, and the characters have just enough personality to make you care.

Perfect length. It reads smoothly, and I found myself wanting to go back just to enjoy the language and illustrations again.

Over and over, I noticed details I missed before — in the pictures, in the way the story turns. That’s the mark of a book you can read many times and still find joy.

It leans into all the things autumn lovers adore: pumpkins, harvests, cozy settings. If you like that seasonal magic, this book delivers.

I can see myself rereading this with the kids every fall, tucking it into our pumpkin-season reading pile. If you want something sweet, seasonal, and easy to fall in love with, this one is a gem.

[Gwen the Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about friendship, fall, and #squashgoals. Pumpkin and Acorn Squash are insperable every Winter, Spring, and Summer but when Fall rolls around, Pumpkin gets blasted into her spot as star of the season and Acorn Squash has some jealously. As Pumpkin is rush from event to event with very little time to rest, Acorn Squash is making her plans to become the new Fall favorite gourd. It turns out that all Pumpkin really wants is to spend time with her favorite gourd, Acorn Squash. Acorn Squash has an idea to combine their spices, give the people what they want, and then sneak away to the corn maze to spend time with her friend. Now they spend every season together because they are #squashgoals.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, 'tis the season for Pumpkin Spice to shine. As Acorn Squash stands by and watches everyone gravitating to her friend, she decides that this year will be different. Even though she mounts a campaign to attract attention, folks remain enamored with Pumpkin Spice. At least until Pumpkin Spice decides that she's had enough of all that acclaim. Fun-to-see digital illustrations depict the two friends' personalities perfectly while also showing off the darker side of fame and popularity. This picture book might be a good choice to read as fall approaches. Its positive message and humor make it appealing for the younger set while also amusing the older set.

[Read Ribbet · Rating 5 out of 5]

GG McQueen has written a clever book for the fall season. He features best friends Pumpkin and Squash as Squash tries to cope with all the attention his friend Pumpkin gets during autumn. The reader will enjoy the pumpkin references throughout the story. When Squash tries to change people's minds and embrace gourds as much as they do pumpkins. When that falls short, Squash becomes resolved to the situation and then discovers how valuable his friendship is to Pumpkin during this difficult time. Clever illustrations by Michael Slack will engage the reader as they follow this friendship. It is just a great new book to add to your fall collection at home or in schools.

[Lynn Street · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of autumn fun and word play with page after page of clever illustrations. Pumpkin gets all the attention each fall from pumpkin spice fans. What's an ambitious acorn squash to do? Come up with a plan to capture some of the limelight, of course! A sweet story of competition and friendship. Perfect for kids who enjoy a story told in pictures as much as a tale unfolding in the text. Priceless expressions on these vegetables!

[Heather Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so wonderful and relatable on many levels. 1. I LOVE fall so bring on all the autumn goodness. 2. Feeling like you are in someone's shadow can be a real bummer and make you want to be a STAR on your own! 3. Sometimes getting what you thought you wanted, wasn't what you wanted. 4. Sticking together can make things better. 5. #SQUASHGOALS! The illustrations are adorable with so many punny Easter eggs to find.

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you do when you're a gourd (that's acorn squash to you) and your BFF is the star of autumn, the queen of lattes? (Pumpkin that is!)

Themes: Halloween, food, friendship, consumerism/popular culture (ie: pumpkin spice craze that hits every fall)

Vibes: Warm cozy pumpkin spice + squash goals; a frenemy until it turns the corner to BFF-hood once again

Ages: 3rd grade+
Pub year: 2025

[Kimberly Monaghan]

Pumpkin and Squash: #Squash Goals, is so cute and RELEVANT!

We can all take a page out of Squash’s story and learn how to step out from another’s shadow and embrace our unique brilliance.

Get the gourd goods here…https://loom.ly/UxcYXho

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute fall book about Acorn Squash who envies his friend Pumpkin's fame in the fall. The puns are not so great but the art is fun. I don't think my level of interest in pop culture is enough to really get into this book.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historians will call them roommates.

If I were trying to be less quippy and more helpful, I'd categorize this as similar to the Food Group Series since it's mostly just cute food puns and a very simple story.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the funniest and cutest kids' books I've read in a while. And the lesson its plot teaches is so simple, yet so useful and profound: "Being everyone's favorite might not be so awesome, but being someone's favorite is A-OK."

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover?!? Adorable!!

[Cathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for seasonal reads. Adorable illustrations. The plot was just ok to me, though.

[Laura Roettiger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is becoming a favorite at our house. The word play is just right for a six year old and the friendship story is very satisfying for all of us. The #SquashGoals are so clever!

[Priscila · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun story about two gourg-geous friends during Autumn-pumpkin-everything.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very punny :)

[Bethany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute! I love all the squash puns!

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storytime: Fall, Food, Thanksgiving, Friends

[Kelsey Vernon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny book I would do around the fall time, and maybe plan a lesson around