What a perfect day for Perfect Picture Books!
It's gray and rainy out, still pretty with all the fall foliage, but a nice to day to curl up with a good picture book :)
Since it's October and I've got pumpkins on the brain, today's choice is a tons-of-fun pumpkin real-aloud!
Written By: Kevin Lewis
Illustrated By: S.D. Schindler
Orchard Books, 2003, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-6
Themes/Topics: thinking ahead, consequences, language fun
Opening: "Once upon a hill,
when the wind blew with a chill
wandered Buck and Billy Baxter
with their baby sister, Lil.
And there, upon that hillside,
growing orange, fat, and fine,
the budding Baxters found a pumpkin
on a twisty, twirly vine."
Brief Synopsis: One Halloween, Buck, Billy and Lil Baxter find an enormous pumpkin. The boys take one look and have to have it. Without thinking about how they'll get it home safely, they cut the pumpkin from its vine. Off it goes, gathering speed, busting through fences, scattering farm animals, with the Baxters right behind it. How will they stop it, and what will they do with all that pumpkin?
Links To Resources: plant a pumpkin seed and grow a pumpkin of your own!, bake pumpkin seeds, take a trip to a pumpkin patch, try out some pumpkin recipes - pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, Creative Kid-Friendly Pumpkin Recipes, Healthy Pumpkin Dessert Recipes, Classroom Activities for The Runaway Pumpkin, draw a picture or make a collage of a jack-o-lantern, make up a story about another over-sized vegetable or fruit that gets away.
Why I Like This Book: This story does carry a message about the consequences of not thinking ahead, but mostly I like it because it's flat out fun :) Haven't we all been captivated by something which causes us to leap before we look? :) The pumpkin is impressively gigantic. It takes off down the hill with the little Baxters in its wake. As it wreaks havoc on the countryside, the text bounces along in fun rhyme that kids love to join in on: "'Round and 'round/across the ground/makin' a thumpin' bumpin' sound/came that thumpety/bumpety/thumpin'/bumpin'/round and roll-y/RUNAWAY PUMPKIN!" See? Fun! :) Also a good pick for Halloween :)
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
Have a great weekend, everyone! And PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links in the list below so we can all come visit you! :)
