Pumpkin Pumpkin

by Jeanne Titherington

Jamie planted a pumpkin seed in the spring. All summer long he watched his pumpkin grow -- from a tiny sprout to a huge orange pumpkin. By Halloween it was ready to pick and carve. But best of all, inside th epumpkin were seeds -- to be planted next spring. A celebration of lifeand growth for the very youngest.

Genres: Picture Books, Halloween, Childrens, Science, Realistic Fiction, Plants, Storytime

24 pages, Library Binding

First published May 12, 1986

About the author

"It was never my plan to become a writer and illustrator of children's books. Although I knew from the age of ten that I wanted to be an artist, it took a long time to discover just what kind of an artist I would be.

"When I was in art school, first at Pratt Institute and then at Portland School of Art, I was a painting major.

"After exhibiting my work several times during the next few years, I was encouraged by a friend familiar with publishing to try my hand at illustration. On a whim I made a completely unorganized trip to New York, then Boston. Despite the fact that I did everything all wrong, I managed to get my first job illustrating a children's book. I've been illustrating ever since, and now, with the help and encouragement of Susan Hirschman, I am writing children's books as well.

"I grew up in Maine and still summer there, but I presently live and work in Houston, Texas, with my daughter, Anna, and son, John Gabriel. I love what I do and feel truly blessed in the life I have."

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeanne Titherington's Pumpkin Pumpkin (about a little boy named Jamie who plants a pumpkin seed in the spring and then in late October harvests a large pumpkin to carve into a Jack O'Lantern for Halloween) is the type of picture book that while the illustrations I have found sweetly magical and very much appreciatively evocative, the actual text, the narrative presented alongside of these glowing and wonderful pictorial images leaves (at least for me on a personal level) more than a bit to be desired.

Now while the above mentioned illustrations are indeed whimsical, imaginatively detailed and expressive (and I especially have enjoyed how on almost EVERY pictorial spread, author/illustrator Jeanne Titherington includes an animal, from a ladybug to the family dog), I do tend to find at least some of the facial expressions of the main protagonist, of young Jamie (the pumpkin planter and harvester) a bit overly exaggerated, even unnatural at times, or more to the point, a trifle too in one's proverbial face, especially considering how the rest of the illustrations primarily do shine because of their laid back and muted character. But all that having been said, the illustrations for Pumpkin Pumpkin have most definitely and for the most part been a more than pleasant surprise, an appreciated and even very much cherished aesthetic feast for my eyes.

Unfortunately though, the magic of Jeanne Titherington's illustrations does not really in any way transfer itself to the narrative, to the actual written text of Pumpkin Pumpkin. For compared to the always lushly conceptualised, the often minutely descriptive details of the featured and presented pictures of young Jamie's pumpkin planting experiences (with the pumpkin plant in the various stages of its growth and life cycle, with the diverse animals, with Jamie patiently waiting for his planted pumpkin to grow, to mature and finally, the carved Jack O'Lantern in all its glory), the accompanying narrative is really so standardly simple, so lacking in almost ANY kind of supplemental description that it (at least to and for me) feels pretty well majorly tedious and mundane, a barely adequate description of the pumpkin growing process, of Jamie planting a pumpkin seed and later harvesting a large pumpkin and carving it into a Jack O'Lantern for Halloween, and really and truly, not all that special by any stretch of the imagination.

And actually, without the oh so wonderful and oh so evocative and engaging illustrations, I for one would be massively and yes even annoyingly bored with and by Pumpkin Pumpkin (so much so that while I could in fact and indeed imagine this book without its text, with just the illustrations, I could never even remotely consider Pumpkin Pumpkin with just the presented narrative, with just the text, as the latter is so simplistic, so overly basic that without the accompanying pictures, the text would be barely tolerable, barely readable, as while the story penned by the author is sweet enough, it is just too basic and too lacking in almost any superfluous detail to be even remotely enjoyable on its own). Two and a half stars for Pumpkin Pumpkin, rounded down to a high two stars ranking, because the sweetness and loveliness of Jeanne Titherington's pictorial images notwithstanding, there is simply not enough presented text-wise for me to consider a three star rating.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are lovely, with an old-fashioned look and cute details.

The story is very simple with very few words on each page and not too many pages, even for a picture book.

I’m a pumpkin fan, and my only disappointment in this book is that there is no mention of pumpkins for eating.

However, it’s a great book for reading around Halloween (think jack-o’-lanterns) and also good for learning about and reading about the life cycle of a pumpkin, and gardening. This book can be enjoyed by the youngest children (though a board book edition would be better for children who’d likely tear or otherwise damage book pages) and also for early independent readers. It would be a good read aloud book one to one and also for groups.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 STARS
My sons and I enjoyed Pumpkin Pumpkin. I think part of the charm for me was in the 80s style illustrations; they bring up warm childhood memories! ;-) I like the softness and gentleness in them, too--so many autumn books are very bright and bold, which makes sense given the gorgeous colors this time of year, but it was nice to see something a little different. I agree that the text wasn't particularly special, but as a mom of two wee ones, I did appreciate that it was simple yet fairly complete in its explanation of seed-to-pumpkin.

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who says you can’t read a book about pumpkins during the spring season?

Plant a pumpkin seed in spring…
Carve a jack-‘o-lantern at Halloween!

It takes months for pumpkins to reach their autumnal size, so for a young child to learn about patience and nature, this book shows the way. In the lovely colored-pencil illustrations, a young boy plants a seed and watches it sprout into a pumpkin plant. Every month, it gets bigger and bigger until, finally, Halloween arrives. But the child has learned that something big starts with something small, so

he saved six pumpkin seeds for planting in the spring.

This is such a nice book with little geese and rabbits popping up throughout the artwork. It also shows a connection between the seasons, from fluttering light to the time when a wagon is needed to cart the big pumpkin to its final destination. The illustrations are perfect and there’s very little wordage so a small child can pick up this book and understand what is happening.

And that’s why I was reading a Halloween book in spring!

Book Season – Spring or Autumn (just plant those seeds)

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very simple story about a boy growing a pumpkin. I have used this in toddler and lap programs for years. 10/29/13

Used for my Baby/Toddler Story Times for a Halloween feel.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are a joy to look at. I wondered why there was no pumpkin bread, pie, or roasted pumpkin seeds at the end.

[Melanie, Aaron, Annie, and Mary Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read by: Melanie
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Author: Jeanne Titherington
Interest Level: K-2
Grade Level Equivalent: 1.5
DRA: N/A
Lexile:260 L

This is a book about how a young boy plants a seed to grow a pumpkin. He plants the seed, it turns into a sprout that turns into a flower and the flower finally turns into a pumpkin. The pumpkin keeps getting bigger until Jamie picks it then he keeps some seeds for next year. An easy read with repetitive words that can help students work on their reading.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother's cousin wrote and illustrated this book, and I love it! I remember being so proud when we read it in grade school that I knew the author. It's the story of a pumpkin, and the boy who grows it, and there's even a shout-out to seed-saving. Jeanne lives full-time in Maine now, the way life should be.

[Atsupui Dogbla]

This book describes how three grows. From the seed to the three, the different stages of growing plant. This book is more scientific, and experimental. Children may conduct an experience. They may sow a seed and watch it grow while watering it, and figuring out how long it will take a seed to grow. A scientific experience; from there they can expand to grow a garden, or landscape...

[Nicole Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: This story starts with Jamie planting a pumpkin seed. It shows the life cycle of a pumpkin.
Reflection: Very easy to understand. Great pictures! Perfect for introducing or reviewing life cycles.
Use in Class: This is a perfect book for doing life cycles! This book is great for pre-K during the fall! Students can do a craft showing the life cycle of pumpkins and even sprout pumpkin seeds!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple introduction to the life cycle of the pumpkin. Jamie plants a pumpkin seed and watches as it sprouts, grows a flower, and then grows a pumpkin. The illustrations are lovely.

[Afaf Ammar · Rating 3 out of 5]

"And the pumpkin flower grew a pumpkin,
And the pumpkin grew,
He saved six pumpkin seeds for planting in the spring"

A warm book for all seasons
كتاب دافيء لكل الفصول 🍁🧡

4 November 2024

[Morton Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pumpkin life cycle | Soft illustrations | Simple text - Emma

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

(read aloud by himself at 5yo, no words missed)

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, simple, perfect for a toddler storytime.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Tales for Twos and Threes on 10/7/11: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Nora]

My girls and all of my students (all of them, whatever the age) love this book. It's great for the young readers to read to their friends in the classroom.

[Diana S · Rating 4 out of 5]

My granddaughter and her friends plan on saving their own pumpkin seeds and plant them next year.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty cute. Will read to my kiddos and do a compare contrast activity.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The process of growing pumpkins. Great for little ones! Lovely reminder for the rest of us of the gift of a sown seed.

[Aleah Johnson]

Summary:
A little boy named Jamie takes readers through each step of the life of a pumpkin. It begins with Jamie planting a pumpkin seed. After a while, the pumpkin begins to sprout, flower, turn into a small pumpkin, grow more and more until it is finally big enough for Jamie to pick it. After picking the pumpkin, Jamie carves it and sits it in his window sill. The story ends by Jamie saving seeds to plant another pumpkin for next year.

Evaluation:
I liked "Pumpkin Pumpkin" because it is a fun and engaging presentation of the life of a pumpkin. I think that it is important for students to understand the life cycle of plants and this could be a book that could be read in order to teach about a plants life cycle. The book can also be read around the time of Halloween in the month of October. I would recommend this book to students and teachers in the lower level elementary grades such as kindergarten or first grade.

Teaching idea:
For a teaching, this could be used in a kindergarten class to practice sequencing and chronological order. The teacher could begin by reading the book aloud to the class. The teacher could read through once or twice and then refer back to it during the activity as necessary. After reading the book, the teacher would pass out a worksheet that contains empty, numbered boxes as well as cut out boxes that show pictures of each stage of a pumpkins life. The teacher would work alongside the students to complete the worksheet by cutting out each of the images and gluing them in the correct chronological order of the pumpkins life cycle.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the spring, Jamie plants a pumpkin seed. He watches all summer as the pumpkin grows and grows. In the fall, it is big enough to make a perfect Halloween jack-o’-lantern. But what will Jamie find inside the pumpkin?

The target audience for this charming picture book is preschool through primary grades, ages four through eight. The exquisite colored pencil illustrations are a highlight of this book. With their childlike innocence, they are sure to delight the young reader. The engaging illustrations are a perfect counterpart to the narrative as they clearly represent the simple science of planting seeds, watching them grow, and deciding when to harvest.

With its simple, repetitive narrative, this picture book is perfect for emerging readers. Picture clues help in decoding words while the narrative’s repetition builds confidence as the child reads.

Highly recommended for all young readers, especially emerging readers. Also recommended for autumn storytelling, for an introduction to the science of sowing seeds and growing plants [for which it won a New York Academy of Science Children’s Book Award], or for the beautiful artwork. This is a book that belongs in every primary grade classroom library.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jamie plants a pumpkin seed in the spring in this seasonal picture book for younger children, watching it grow into a pumpkin plant, then flower, and then produce an actual pumpkin, as summer and then autumn come. When it is Halloween time, he carves the now massive pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern, saving some of the seeds he scooped out of it to plant next year...

Originally published in 1986, Pumpkin, Pumpkin is the first picture book I have read from author/illustrator Jeanne Titherington, whose beautiful colored pencil artwork really enhanced the experience. The text is very simple—no more than a sentence or phrase per two-page spread—describing the seasonal rhythms of a growing pumpkin, while the artwork captures the beauty of the natural world (it looks like a farm) in which Jamie lives. I particularly liked the various animals with which Jamie interacts, as he watches his pumpkin grow. Recommended to younger picture book readers and audiences—kindergarten and below, I would say—looking for pumpkin-centered tales for autumn.

[Jennifer Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This classic by Jeanne Titherington was the absolutely perfect book for my kindergartners and first graders each fall. The beautiful illustrations showcased exquisite details. My little ones loved following the animals through the pages. And the way it highlighted the life cycle of a pumpkin? Ideal for any class studying plants! Children closely examined Titherington's drawings - and were inspired to create something just as lovely.

Honestly though, it was the words that continually encouraged children to learn how to read the text on their own. Kids understood the simple concepts and connected their knowledge to the Jamie's in the story. Repetitive words inspired reasoning as children thoughtfully tackled their word attack skills to figure the words that varied from page to page. How pleased and proud they were when they could read it with a friend - and on their own!

Now that I've retired, I've been looking for my well-loved copy to share with my grandson.

[Brianna Allman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a boy who plants some pumpkin seeds. He watches it grow and grow and eventually picks the pumpkin. He carves the inside out, but remembers to keep a few seeds for spring.

I really like this book and think it is perfect for reading in the fall. The pictures show the process the pumpkin goes through and the excitement on the boys face builds as time goes on. It shows what you can do with a few seeds. I think it is simple enough for young readers as well.
I think this could be used to talk about in the fall or spring. In the spring you plant the seeds, and then you watch what you planted grow and you pick it in the fall. I think it is a fun and educational way to get kids excited about Halloween. You could also plant something simple as a class. You could talk about science and the process of how something grows, and you could get kids to illustrate this process.

[Dianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet very simple book about the magic of a pumpkin seed and the giant pumpkin it grew. In the end five seeds are saved for the next pumpkin growing adventure. In the fall when you take your child to the pumpkin patch to select their fall jack-o-lantern, add this book about a boy growing his own pumpkin. Better yet, grow your own pumpkin and see the process from seed to carved pumpkin and pies. Books are a great way to live vicariously through others to experience something you are not able to do yourself or to feel the kinship of someone doing what you are doing. The illustrations are sweet and each page's text is simple but it tells a nice story of a journey with pumpkins. I reread our copy because I am passing it on to my grandson who recently grew a patch of pumpkins of his very own.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute story that features a little boy and a pumpkin plant. As a reader, we follow this pumpkin plant through its regular growth cycle and get to see the different stages of growth the pumpkin goes through. The pumpkin starts as a seed, then grows to a vine, grows to a flower, a small pumpkin and then eventually grows to a fully grown and ripe pumpkin ready for carving. The pictures are adorable and really add to the story in the way of visualization and the observable changes that can be seen in a pumpkin. It's the perfect book for Autumn! I could really see this book being utilized in a classroom during a unit on the growth cycle as we get to see all of the stages and then we get to see the cycle begin at the end.

[Kayley King]

I think that this book is a perfect fall book. It is about the sequence of a growing pumpkin and about turning it into a jack-o-lantern in the end. This book has really pretty illustrations that look like they were made with colored pencil. The words in the book are large print and the vocabulary is pretty simple so I would recommend this book for students in K-2, but if you were to use it to teach about the growth of plants then it could be used for older grades to. This book would be perfect as an introduction to teaching a science lesson about the growth of plants. It would also be a good Halloween book because while pumpkins are a large topic during Halloween, it would be good to teach students about the growth of pumpkins and how they are turned into jack-o-lanterns.

[Ashley Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

My son brought this book home from the school library. It was an unexpected pick since it wasn’t about dinosaurs, but it was a wholesome read for us together, made extra special since we planted our own pumpkin patch this past spring so he could see each stage of the pumpkin in the book as being part of the shared experience we had over the summer watching our pumpkins grow. If it weren’t for that memory, I’m not sure either of us would have gravitated to this book, but it was a pleasant surprise and probably one that I will keep my eye out for for our own collection. A very simple story of a boy planting a pumpkin seed and watching it grow stage by stage. There is really nothing to it. But what a wonderful moment to capture as my son and I read it together.

[Erin B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: contemporary realistic; grades: K-2. This book is a perfect book to use to determine a child's reading level. It's a simple read that can give a food indication of where a student stands in their ability to read and comprehend a story. It follows a little boy's journey of planting a pumpkin seed and watching it grow. Not only is it a cute book about a little boy and his pumpkin, but it also informs the reader about how a pumpkin grows- how it starts and how it ends up. This is a simple, yet good book to have in the classroom.