I’m rarely ambivalent when it comes to children’s books, but Somethin’ Pumpkin throws me a bit. I like this book. The question is whether I love it, or just admire it.
Do you like pumpkins? The omnipotent narrator does, and so do all the wacky characters in this work. With exception, a ghost, and a pumpkin, they are never a duo for reasons one wouldn’t want to dispute. Somethin’ Pumpkin isn’t a story per se, but a zany clarification for why pumpkins are essential.
“The Worthington Witches grow a grand pumkin patch.
Together they pluck a perfect pumpkin pair match.”
Black cats transform a boat from a pumpkin, spiders make apartments from pumpkins, and robots fuel their brains with pumpkins. Without a doubt, the writing is fresh and clever. It reminds me of the beloved children’s author, Dr. Seuss. Scott Allen invents words like “squashastic” and makes use of the eccentric in a big way. As you can see from the excerpt above, he rhymes the text, and in most instances, it’s brilliant. The end product is exceptionally humorous, and the illustrations are extraordinary; however, I think the author overreaches a bit.
For example, when talking of witches, one creates, “…a cauldron colossal, the other a perfect pumpkin falafel.” Huh? What’s a falafel? I had to look it up. It’s a meatball made from ground-spiced chickpeas. This book is geared to 4 and up, so why not use something like a waffle? It rhymes with colossal, and kids can identify with a waffle. In another instance, a little know Pharaoh, “…praised the great cucurbita...” Well, for those who don’t know, a cucurbita is a trailing, or climbing vine like pumpkins, squash, and ornamental gourds. Okay…
I don’t want to be overly critical, as I respect the writing style and the author’s creativity; however, the real leading lady is the artwork. In fact, I don’t ever recall seeing the illustrators name listed first on a cover page, but in this work, Pickering’s name is first. Jimmy Pickering is the illustrator, and his paintings are truly remarkable. One might mistake the work as computer generated as they’re futuristic looking, but upon close inspection, it’s apparent that they are painted. I believe he used oil, or oil pastels, or perhaps a combination of the two. The colors are rich and vibrant, and the texture and shadowing in these ultramodern images is wonderful. Pickering layers the paint to build intense color and shadow, and the details urge readers to linger awhile. There’s no question that this is cutting-edge artwork, yet the artist has no trouble making the clouds mist and swell graciously.
I’m partial to the arachnid page where spiders subdivide pumpkins to make apartments. The background is nearly black while the foreground consists of a row of vividly colored pumpkins in all shapes and sizes. Some are stacked, short stubby apartments, while others are tall, slender apartments. Rectangular shaped windows are carved into each one, and they glow a rich golden yellow. Smoke billows from the stems, which are bricked smoke stacks. To the left of the complex is a dangling spider with a suitcase and a hat, and he appears anxious to move in. The paintings are skillfully designed and executed, and they are comical as well.
My son’s initial reaction was excitement to see another library book, and over the weeks, he’s become quite attached to Somethin’ Pumpkin. He giggles at the pictures, and asks tons of questions. The bat driving the pumpkin car is his favorite scene. He studies the pictures and has identified all sorts of details like the headlights on the pumpkin car are made from acorns, and the driver is wearing bat glasses. At the first sitting, he asked that I read it three times in a row. I had to explain many of the vocabulary words so that he could put the pictures together with the text. It’s unusual for me to explain a picture book, and the reason why I think Allen went too far. My nieces became fond of this book when they visited, but even the 10-year old had some difficulty reading this aloud, and she’s advanced for her age.
Somethin’ Pumpkin isn’t a long book. It takes less then three minutes to read. It isn’t scary, gory, or gross but due to the vocabulary, I recommend it to children 4 and above. If rating on how much we like this book, I’d give it five stars. I adore children’s books with exceptional artwork, and even when the text is tedious, I’ll still appreciate the illustrations. Another plus is that this book is amusing, which always garners extra points. On the other hand, when a ten-year old has difficult comprehending the text, it tells me it’s excessive, four stars. If you don’t mind illuminating, pick up this book. The artwork alone is worth every penny.
ISBN: 1-93129-000-8
Smallfellow Press (December 31, 1999)
This is another entry into msmorvay's 4th Annual Resurrecting the Oldies Book Write Off.
Additional Halloween Treats:
Monster Mischief
Skeleton Hiccups
Dragon's Halloween
Sheep Trick or Treat
The Runaway Pumpkin
Mouse's First Halloween
Halloween Night by Arden Druce
Halloween Night by Elizabeth Hatch
Halloween Mis-Treats:
Happy Halloween, Biscuit!
The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin
Recommended:
