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Stumpkin
From the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of A Hungry Lion comes a unique Halloween story about a stemless pumpkin who dreams of becoming a jack-o-lantern.Stumpkin is the most handsome pumpkin on the block. He’s as orange as a traffic cone! Twice as round as a basketball! He has no bad side! He’s perfect choice for a Halloween jack-o-lantern. There’s just one problem—Stumpkin has a stump, not a stem. And no one seems to want a stemless jack-o-lantern for their window. As Halloween night approaches, more and more of his fellow pumpkins leave, but poor Stumpkin remains. Will anyone give Stumpkin his chance to shine?
56 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 24, 2018
8 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Ruth Cummins
34 books56 followersLucy Ruth Cummins is an author, illustrator, and art director. She is the executive art director of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers where she has worked for two decades on picture books, middle grade books, and young adult novels. She also manages a team of talented art directors and designers.
Lucy made her critically acclaimed debut as an author and illustrator with A Hungry Lion, or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals. She is also the author-illustrator of Stumpkin, Vampenguin, and Our Pool.
She is the illustrator of several books written by other authors, including Truman, written by Jean Reidy; Sounds Like School Spirit, written by Meg Fleming; and The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures, by Curtis Manning. She is also the author of Sleepy Sheepy, and Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, illustrated by Pete Oswald.
Lucy’s books have been chosen as Publisher’s Weekly Best Books, NPR Best Books, New York Times Best Children’s Books, and have also been celebrated with both Irma Black honors, and a Governor General’s award honor. Her books can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and preferably at Indie Bound or your own local bookstore! And of course she’s always thrilled if you check her out from the library.
Born in Canada, she is the youngest of six children, and her family lived in an actual log cabin. She grew up in Cortland, New York, and she now lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York. Her favorite food is the french fry.
Lucy made her critically acclaimed debut as an author and illustrator with A Hungry Lion, or a Dwindling Assortment of Animals. She is also the author-illustrator of Stumpkin, Vampenguin, and Our Pool.
She is the illustrator of several books written by other authors, including Truman, written by Jean Reidy; Sounds Like School Spirit, written by Meg Fleming; and The Rescuer of Tiny Creatures, by Curtis Manning. She is also the author of Sleepy Sheepy, and Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, illustrated by Pete Oswald.
Lucy’s books have been chosen as Publisher’s Weekly Best Books, NPR Best Books, New York Times Best Children’s Books, and have also been celebrated with both Irma Black honors, and a Governor General’s award honor. Her books can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and preferably at Indie Bound or your own local bookstore! And of course she’s always thrilled if you check her out from the library.
Born in Canada, she is the youngest of six children, and her family lived in an actual log cabin. She grew up in Cortland, New York, and she now lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York. Her favorite food is the french fry.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
November 4, 2019
Stumpkin is perfect! Just as he is.
Stumpkin is a stemless pumpkin waiting and hoping for someone to take him home for Halloween. One by one his friends get picked, but Stumpkin gets passed over again and again. But time is running out! Will Stumpkin find a home for the holiday?
This story is pretty much a pumpkin version of Corduroy, but with a big, wide, bright-as-can-be grin and style all its own. I especially loved the buildup and design of the last few pages. The color orange ruled the book, but the use of the completely black pages at the end added huge fun and suspense to the story. You have to flip the pages quick as can be to see what happens to Stumpkin.
Come and see! I’m so happy I decided to read one more Halloween-y book to close out the season. I loved it! Stumpkin now sits atop my favorite Halloween books list.
Highly recommended.
September 28, 2022
Masterful. Had me on the edge of my seat.
October 6, 2022
This was cute 😭😭
August 26, 2018
Poor Stumpkin!!! I will admit I did tear up reading this because I felt so badly for Stumpkin, but it has a great moral to it. I'm also extremely partial to the art style that was chosen for this!
October 17, 2018
A beautiful big pumpkin with every good quality, save for a stem, Stumpkin looked forward to someone taking him home and making him into a Jack-o-Lantern in time for Halloween. But as the other pumpkins sold, one by one, he slowly began to lose hope. Then Halloween night arrived, and Stumpkin discovered that he didn't need to leave home to achieve his dream...
A sweet Halloween story about an 'ugly duckling' pumpkin who nevertheless achieves his dream of becoming a Jack-o-Lantern, Stumpkin is the third picture-book I have read that is illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins (and the second that is both written and illustrated by her). It is really quite well-written, much like Cummins' A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals , and features winsome illustrations. I particularly liked the scenes in which Stumpkin is being carved, and slowly gains a new perspective. Recommended to anyone looking for new Halloween picture-books on the sweeter side.
A sweet Halloween story about an 'ugly duckling' pumpkin who nevertheless achieves his dream of becoming a Jack-o-Lantern, Stumpkin is the third picture-book I have read that is illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins (and the second that is both written and illustrated by her). It is really quite well-written, much like Cummins' A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals , and features winsome illustrations. I particularly liked the scenes in which Stumpkin is being carved, and slowly gains a new perspective. Recommended to anyone looking for new Halloween picture-books on the sweeter side.
October 23, 2025
A dang stemless pumpkin got me crying
October 23, 2019
Still reading this one to classes a year later. I think it's going to be a Halloween fixture.
September 16, 2025
ok LOVE i was reading along out loud
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January 2, 2020This is a Halloween story about a little pumpkin that is perfect in every way, except for the fact that he has a stump, and not a stem. As all the other pumpkins on the shelf get sold off through the week before Halloween, Stumpkin is left behind. But never you worry, Stumpkin ends up being A-okay. Oh this one is so very CUTE! I'll have to pull it out again next October and go pick out a "very nearly" perfect pumpkin when we make our jack-o'-lanterns. OH! And this book has some serious weight to it -- thick, heavy pages. With mostly shades of black and white, the artwork showcases splashes of orange, green, and yellow. The illustrations for this book were rendered in gouache, pencil, ink, and brush marker.
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!
October 7, 2022
A cute Ugly Duckling Pumpkin story! Perfect for Halloween.
It is almost time for Halloween/Spooktober and I am getting in the mood! So I thought what is better than a pumpkin book to get started! And this one sounded really fun!
In a city somewhere there is a little pumpkin stand with all sorts of pumpkins. Funny pumpkins, big pumpkins, tiny pumpkins… and stumpkin. I just LOVED LOVED the idea of a pumpkin stand just in the middle of the city. If I want pumpkins I will have to go to garden centres or hunt far and high for maybe someone who grew them and is selling them now. I would much rather go to the shopping part in my town and pick up a pumpkin. But we are losing track. Haha. Back to pumpkins in the book! I was so sad for Stumpkin. I mean, he is a fine fine pumpkin and I would have definitely bought him. I don’t need a stem for my pumpkins! You can still decorate him, or just put him outside as he is!
But as we see in the story it isn’t that easy. There are apparently not a lot of Mehsi’s in the world. We see that all his friends are leaving one by one and appearing in the houses surrounding the store. All decorated and carved. I loved the plan of the kitty that lives near the store! That was a great great idea, just sad how that one ended. I just didn’t get why no one would want him. He is perfect. Just like his tiny gourd friend on the left.
The ending was just the sweetest and made me smile so so much! That is just wonderful! I am so happy! I won’t tell you what happened, oh no, you will have to read the book yourself but I will guarantee it will make you happy!
The art was quite fun. Simple, but very fun!
All in all, a very fun book about a pumpkin who wants a home! Perfect for Halloween/Spooktober!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
It is almost time for Halloween/Spooktober and I am getting in the mood! So I thought what is better than a pumpkin book to get started! And this one sounded really fun!
In a city somewhere there is a little pumpkin stand with all sorts of pumpkins. Funny pumpkins, big pumpkins, tiny pumpkins… and stumpkin. I just LOVED LOVED the idea of a pumpkin stand just in the middle of the city. If I want pumpkins I will have to go to garden centres or hunt far and high for maybe someone who grew them and is selling them now. I would much rather go to the shopping part in my town and pick up a pumpkin. But we are losing track. Haha. Back to pumpkins in the book! I was so sad for Stumpkin. I mean, he is a fine fine pumpkin and I would have definitely bought him. I don’t need a stem for my pumpkins! You can still decorate him, or just put him outside as he is!
But as we see in the story it isn’t that easy. There are apparently not a lot of Mehsi’s in the world. We see that all his friends are leaving one by one and appearing in the houses surrounding the store. All decorated and carved. I loved the plan of the kitty that lives near the store! That was a great great idea, just sad how that one ended. I just didn’t get why no one would want him. He is perfect. Just like his tiny gourd friend on the left.
The ending was just the sweetest and made me smile so so much! That is just wonderful! I am so happy! I won’t tell you what happened, oh no, you will have to read the book yourself but I will guarantee it will make you happy!
The art was quite fun. Simple, but very fun!
All in all, a very fun book about a pumpkin who wants a home! Perfect for Halloween/Spooktober!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
October 15, 2020
I loved this book, such a lovely story! Talk about saving the best for last !
October 27, 2018
As he watches his friends one by one be chosen to be turned into lucky Jack-O-lanterns, Stumpkin worries that no one will want him because he has no stem.
A very sweet story with GORGEOUS illustrations by the author.
A very sweet story with GORGEOUS illustrations by the author.
October 16, 2021
This book is very fun to read especially if you have someone to read to.🙂
May 27, 2021
We loved stumpkin! I kept having it recommended to me by goodreads and demurring because something about it just didn’t really appeal, I think the title seemed too hokey. But we loved it. The story was sweet but not sappy and with a great surprise ending, and the design of the book was really simple but really effective. My almost 4 year old loved it and it will definitely be a Halloween fixture for us!
September 29, 2018
This was a simply told story of a misfit pumpkin that lacks a stem, kind of an Ugly Duckling or maybe a Tacky the Penguin or Lambert the Sheepish Lion sort of pumpkin story. Nicely done on the whole. Would appeal to younger elementary audiences. Not bad.
September 5, 2018
A new story for Halloween about pumpkins in a store window. Will anyone choose Stumpkin for their jack o'lantern?
A story about the longing to belong and the fear of being chosen last.
A story about the longing to belong and the fear of being chosen last.
October 4, 2019
Well that's depressing.
October 18, 2020
Cute little Halloween story--can't believe I hadn't reviewed it already (oops!). I found this on the "new books" shelf at the public library last year and liked it so much that I purchased a copy for my school's library collection. My own children LOVE it and it's now a book we have to read every October and the classes I read it to this year really enjoyed it.
July 26, 2018
Very cute and sweet story about a pumpkin without a stem. No tricks, only treats, haha!
August 5, 2018
This without a stump pumpkin feels awful when it's the last left behind right before Halloween.
October 22, 2018
Wow! Love this cheeky Halloween read about the 'perfect' who longs to be a jack O'lantern but lacks a stalk!
Beautiful illustrations and perfect for this time of year :)
Beautiful illustrations and perfect for this time of year :)
September 21, 2020
Hoping this becomes a Halloween classic.
March 18, 2025
This book had me crying over poor Stumpkin and I am 30 years old. This would've gotten 5 stars from me but I wanted- no, NEEDED -Stumpkin to have a happier ending! Justice for Stumpkin!
October 12, 2025
Fantastic, I cried
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December 12, 2018So cute. Possibly a modern classic.
August 19, 2018
Such a cute story about a pumpkin who doesn't seem to fit in with the others
November 10, 2018
Adorable stemless pumpkin yearns for a window like all his pumpkin friends and despairs he will never be purchased. Love the minimal use of color and black space. Be sure to check out the case cover art!
July 23, 2018
Even the gourd?! A really cute, not scary Halloween story. I love the couple pages of illustrations that give away our ending. It was the perfect way to show what was happening. Highly recommended to add to a library's Halloween collection.
August 2, 2018
My favorite moment is when Stumpkin first sees out of his new eyes. Brilliant choice of perspective.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews