It's a Pumpkin!

by Wendy McClure, Kate Kronreif (Illustrations)

It's big. It's orange. But what is it?

When Field Mouse and Squirrel find something big, round, and orange in the middle of the road, it looks kind of familiar. Skunk is positive it's a lamp, and Rabbit thinks it looks like a snack, but no one knows for sure. Luckily, there's one thing they can all agree it's the life of the party! Discover all of the ways you can use a pumpkin in this adorable fall adventure.

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

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2020

About the author

Wendy McClure is an author and a children’s book editor.

Reviews

[Dream.M · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب It’s a Pumpkin! یه قصه‌ی پاییزیِ گرم و بامزه‌ست
داستانش با زبانی ساده، کلمات تکرارشونده و ریتمیک نوشته شده، برای همین خوندنش با صدای بلند برای بچه‌ها خیلی لذت‌بخشه
پیامی هم که داره درباره دوستی، خلاقیت و همکاری هستش.
مناسب بچه های ۳ تا ۷ سال.
من اینو خوندم و میخوام امروز کیک کدوحلوایی بپزم برای اولین بار

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a group of animal friends find a pumpkin in the middle of the road, the questions begin. What is it? Everyone has an idea. Curiosity, creativity and friendship are themes in this story. This could be a great springboard for writing lessons.

[LibrErin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A variety of forest animals contemplate all the things a pumpkin might be used for.
Very cute and imaginative; will be in our fall roster for years to come!

[Doe Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one with a heart should hesitate to buy this delightful seasonal tale of collaboration and cooperation! A wonderful study of point of view and personal perspective, this book features a purely engaging coterie of woodland friends who use cues, clues, and background knowledge to determine the identity of the giant orange object that blocks their forest path. Through confident guesses, everyone offers possible and probable uses, and, even though they never land upon the scientific or common name of this golden fruit, they thoroughly enjoy its full potential as a chair, a table, a doorstop, a lantern, a pie, a seed source, and, by happy accident, a renewable plant resource. Not to mention a community-builder and a grand excuse for a party! Sheer, accessible delight!

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the many pumpkin picture books available, this one offers plenty of reasons to rise to the top of the pile. In this cumulative story, each friendly animal assigns a name/purpose to a found pumpkin. Together they learn various attributes about this "thing", leading to layers of tasty engagement, surprising ways to share, and a final surprise that encourages predicting and noticing details.
This opens loads of opportunities for math, counting, cooking, and other hands-on fun.
Pair this one with Pat Zietlow Miller's two books about Sophie's Squash.
This will be an annual favorite in homes, libraries, and classrooms.

[Jane Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s A Pumpkin is a sweet story perfect for fall! Children and adults alike will giggle as the critters in the story try to figure out what exactly the big, round, orange something that they’ve found is! With adorable illustrations in all the fall colors of the season, this story is sure to delight!

[Beth Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for fall. It will keep young readers laughing as they watch the animals try and figure out what the big orange thing they found is. The book comes full circle with a wonderful surprise at the end.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! What an awesome fall adventure! Can’t wait to read this one again!

[Kirsti · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It had a jolly face, and it flickered, and it made them all want to dance spooky dances."

Delightful story of how many uses a pumpkin can have. Now I'm craving pepitas.

[Julie Hedlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent example of how to use an ensemble cast in a picture book to great effect. It's sweet and funny, and the animals each have unique personalities and contributions. Just when you think you've got the end figured out, the last couple of pages provide a perfect surprise. Great read-aloud for the entire fall season.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Son's Review
(Age: 5)
It's about critters who wonder what a pumpkin is. The squirrel and field mouse and a raccoon and skunk and a rabbit twins figure out the pumpkin is a food.

I really like it because the animals are so cute. These stories aren't real. These stories don't tell the future. I think it's just fun. It's fun. It's a fun book. It's about critters who wonder what a pumpkin is. Creatures don't know everything. They figured out to eat it. I guess pumpkins come in good uses for different things.

Mom's Review
I concur with T – the animals are very cute. However, I am not a fan of anthropomorphic characters, as they raise too many questions, as does the premise of the story. (Why is the squirrel wearing boots, and nothing else? Why doesn't the chipmunk know that it can eat the pumpkin? How does the raccoon bake cookies inside that hollow tree?) All said, though, we've read the story at least five times in the past two days because T likes it so much. And it's only a few minutes worth of quandary.

Note: Albert Whitman and Company provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found in the middle of the road by Field Mouse and Squirrel, the strange, orange, round object became the topic of discussion by the woodland creatures as they all tried to figure out what it was. After several guesses, and experiments, all the creatures could do with the object found in the middle of the road was throw a party, and what a party it was.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute animals help illustrate the important concept that your interpretation of what something is, or could be, is often colored by your own experiences and expectations. The autumn vibe is perfect for those seeking a cozy seasonal read and the Jack o' Lantern at the end makes this work for Halloween, too.

[Jenny]

Forest friends find a pumpkin and try to riddle out what it is and how they can use it. They are delighted to discover how wonderful it is and how many uses it has. A nice addition to the fall picture books collection!

[Jennifer Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun book! It will make a great addition to your fall storytimes.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This absolutely adorable little book would make a nice fall read-aloud. No specific holidays are named, so it could be read anytime between Sept. and Nov.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adorable!

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Forest animals discover a large, orange item with a green stem. Is it a chair? A table? A doorstop?

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The woodland creatures disagree on what the pumpkin is, but they all end up enjoying eating it.

[Alice Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

The animals cleverly find many uses for a pumpkin without even knowing what it is... and then the cycle begins all over again the next fall.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad to have discovered this book at the library on a display. Such a fun fall story about animals being very creative at figuring out the use of a pumpkin.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a pumpkin is such a cute and fun book. Kids will love it. The illustrations are adorable. Makes me so ready for fall.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet picture book about a pumpkin, but it means something different to each one of the animal friends.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's
Picture Books

Woodland creatures find a pumpkin and try to figure out its purpose.

[Annese · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sweet non-Halloween, Halloween book. Funny, cute, and won't scare the littles. Great for pumpkin and animal enthusiasts.