What do you think?
Rate this book
The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin
One day in the pumpkin patch the strangest little pumpkin hatched.... Spookley the Pumpkin was different. All the other pumpkins teased him, until Spookley proved that being different can save the day!
Spookley CD includes - A reading of the story by Farmer Hill - The Transylvania Twist - The Spookley Song - Bugs! I Love Them All!
Spookley CD includes - A reading of the story by Farmer Hill - The Transylvania Twist - The Spookley Song - Bugs! I Love Them All!
24 pages, Hardcover
First published December 31, 2001
45 people are currently reading
653 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
June 16, 2025
This is a Halloween children's book. This book is all about it is ok to be different, and I loved that message. I read this book to my twin boys, and they loved it so much. They have been loving Halloween books right now.
October 31, 2017
Spookley was different than all the other pumpkins. He was square, and the other pumpkins made fun of him and thought that he was worthless. Spookley finally gets the chance to prove that he's just as good as all the others. Will he prevail?
This one is certainly a keeper. It's a cute story that sends a strong message to children about the importance of kindness and that it's not right to make fun of others. A cute story and colorful illustrations.
This one is certainly a keeper. It's a cute story that sends a strong message to children about the importance of kindness and that it's not right to make fun of others. A cute story and colorful illustrations.
October 10, 2017
This is a rhyming story about a pumpkin patch wherein all the pumpkins are round, except for one square pumpkin. The night before Halloween, there is a storm, and pumpkins are rolling off the vine and into the bay. Spookley has to work hard to turn onto his side, over and over, but is able to eventually move himself to close the gap in the fence where the pumpkins are rolling out. The next morning the farmer sees the value in this odd-shaped pumpkin and uses Spookley’s seed in every row the following year to grow pumpkins mostly square, but also of different shapes and colors. The moral of the story being that variety is the spice of life and great value can be found in our differences.
November 28, 2016
It was cute and I really enjoyed it. I wouldn't mind buying a copy to add to my collection.
childrens-books
January 8, 2022
October 17, 2022
Halloween is right around the corner. So, naturally, we read a book featuring pumpkins! And none other than the wonderful classic tale of Spookley.
I remember reading this when I was a young child and it was fun to see some of the students experience the story for the very first time.
🍁🎃🍂
I remember reading this when I was a young child and it was fun to see some of the students experience the story for the very first time.
🍁🎃🍂
September 21, 2009
A cute little Halloween/Fall story about a square pumpkin in a patch of "normal" round pumpkins. The lesson is about judging based upon appearance and how our differences can also be our strengths.
October 24, 2011
I like this book not only as a Halloween read-a-loud, but also to illustrate a difficult topic on tolerance and being different. Great downloads are available for activity sheets and lessons at
http://www.spookley.com/interface.htm and there is a good ipad ap too.
http://www.spookley.com/interface.htm and there is a good ipad ap too.
February 24, 2025
Everyone makes fun of you when you are a square pumpkin...until one day there is a storm...and you are the only pumpkin who can block a hole in the fence...stopping other pumpkins from rolling out the hole and falling INTO THE SEA! Something to think about on a dark and stormy night!
October 19, 2022
Great message. Highly recommend!
February 21, 2009
Genre - picture book
reading level - K to 1st grade
topic and themes- pumpkins
curricula use - read aloud
social - it's okay to be different, that is what makes us special
literary elements - imagery as the pumpkin is square and is able to roll himself so that the other pumpkins do not get lost falling into the bay
text and pictures
summary - This is a very creative book written about pumpkins that have different shapes and colors. The square pumpkin saves the day as he rolls himself to the corner so the rest of the pumpkins don't roll into the bay. Everyone who reads this story will enjoy how the character of the pumpkin is developed and then how they start to create other pumpkins that are different just like Spookley was different.
reading level - K to 1st grade
topic and themes- pumpkins
curricula use - read aloud
social - it's okay to be different, that is what makes us special
literary elements - imagery as the pumpkin is square and is able to roll himself so that the other pumpkins do not get lost falling into the bay
text and pictures
summary - This is a very creative book written about pumpkins that have different shapes and colors. The square pumpkin saves the day as he rolls himself to the corner so the rest of the pumpkins don't roll into the bay. Everyone who reads this story will enjoy how the character of the pumpkin is developed and then how they start to create other pumpkins that are different just like Spookley was different.
October 19, 2008
This is the fun story of Spookley - a pumpkin who is square. The other pumpkins tease him for his strange shape until one night when he saves the rest of the pumpkins from blowing through a broken fence and out to sea. After Spookley's brave feat, the farmer sows Spookley's seeds in the pumpkin patch year after year, producing pumpkins of all shapes, sizes and colors.
Beyond the ugly duckling theme, the book is also great for fall and Halloween. Delightfully illustrated by Susan Banta, this is a book I am sure I will continue to pull out year after year.
Beyond the ugly duckling theme, the book is also great for fall and Halloween. Delightfully illustrated by Susan Banta, this is a book I am sure I will continue to pull out year after year.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2011
This is an excellent book to help teach children to not judge a book by its cover. The little pumpkin is square and he is upset because he's not like the others and can't roll. One day when a storm comes in, the little pumpkins are rolling through a hole in the fence and out into the water. Since it's harder for the square pumpkin to be blown by the wind, he force tumbles himself to the spot in the fence where the hole was so that no other pumpkins will roll out.
October 22, 2008
After reading this book, we had a discussion about pumpkins and how they are mostly all round or oval. I asked my son what Spookley was, thinking he would say "different" or "square". He said "special"! Yeah, he got the point! We related pumpkins to all the people around us, and in the end, we decided Spookley was a good read.
April 8, 2013
* K-2nd
* Great introduction to shapes, especially 3D shapes.
* Make a 3D shape pumpkin patch with the class to learn attributes of 3D shapes. Graph how many cones, cubes, cylinders, etc. are in the pumpkin patch.
* Good example for building classroom community through acceptance of each other's differences and the contributions that each classmate can give to the classroom.
* Great introduction to shapes, especially 3D shapes.
* Make a 3D shape pumpkin patch with the class to learn attributes of 3D shapes. Graph how many cones, cubes, cylinders, etc. are in the pumpkin patch.
* Good example for building classroom community through acceptance of each other's differences and the contributions that each classmate can give to the classroom.
December 10, 2011
30 months - found at the thrift store for $1 with the CD; looks like it's never been read. A cute original story with a rhythm and rhyme to it. Not so sure of the color changing pumpkins or the need to spell out the morale at the end.
October 25, 2012
This is an adorable book. A wonderful story that shows that you can't judge a book by the cover (or a pumpkin by it's shape.) No matter what someone looks like, odds are they may have special skills that you had never thought of before.
September 7, 2013
This book was different. It was not your classic little kid story. I did love how the main point was to show that everyone is unique in their own way. Some way or another we are all different in our own ways. The story was more of a description then an actual story so this book was not my favorit.
October 24, 2015
This is a fun picture book about a Square pumpkin that saves the day in his pumpkin patch one stormy, windy night. My first grader loves this. While it's an easy read, it's long enough to help reinforce vocabulary while sharing a fun pumpkin story just in time for Halloween.
December 2, 2015
1. Setting: pumpkin patch
2. Author: Joe Troiano
3. I love this book for the month of October since it is about pumpkins. I used it to teach a lesson on a subgroup of bullying; tattling vs. telling. The other pumpkins in the patch are not very nice to spookley since he is square.
2. Author: Joe Troiano
3. I love this book for the month of October since it is about pumpkins. I used it to teach a lesson on a subgroup of bullying; tattling vs. telling. The other pumpkins in the patch are not very nice to spookley since he is square.
October 29, 2015
It is alright to be different is the message for young children in The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin. It is one of the preschool classes' favorite Halloween stories that we share each year. The illustrations are delightful and attractive for young children.
November 16, 2011
This book was awesome. The story is very cute and the pictures are just incredible. The pages are all filled with great rhyming words and my girls loved the pictures.
August 15, 2012
I have this book memorized! My son loved it so much when he was 2 and 3! Ours didn't come with a free cd, but we got the book 5 years ago. My son also has the DVD and watched it a million times too!
October 30, 2015
Great addition to my Halloween book collection. I bought a kindle version for my ipad. Great rhyming. Good discussion book for kids about diversity. I hear the movie is very cute.
November 1, 2020
Best Halloween Book!
This is a fantastic book. Everyone should read it! It is a funny story that teaches kids that it is good to be different.
This is a fantastic book. Everyone should read it! It is a funny story that teaches kids that it is good to be different.
April 13, 2024
Shows its age slightly stylistically, but it's a sweet little story at heart. Not something that I grew up with or around, so I don't have any personal attachment to it, and there are a lot of books with a very similar takeaway that I would probably reach for before this one (like the wonderful Knight Owl), but there's nothing wrong with this one, very solid.
October 21, 2019
Adorable story about a square pumpkin who saves the day when a storm sends all the round pumpkins rolling away.
January 12, 2025
Spookley is, admittedly, adorable, but I hate Spookley and everything he stands for.
November 1, 2024
yes i’m counting this one don’t judge me guys
September 30, 2019
Spookley is different from the other pumpkins. His square shape makes him stand out, but when a storm comes through the pumpkin patch, his squareness comes in handy. A sweet and cute picture book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews