cover image The Bumpy Little Pumpkin

The Bumpy Little Pumpkin

Margery Cuyler, , illus. by Will Hillenbrand. . Scholastic, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-439-52835-1

Like Horowitz's Ugly Pumpkin , this tale's asymmetrical vegetable does not meet ideal jack-o'-lantern specifications. When Little Nell selects it, her sister Big Sarah suggests, "How about this nice, smooth one instead?" Nell sticks to her choice, and a sympathetic Reindeer, Hare and Bear Cub help her to carve it. Cuyler and Hillenbrand introduced stubborn Nell and her know-it-all elders in The Biggest, Best Snowman . Once again, they cheer Nell's defiance, but the dewy-eyed talking animals here seem to add a bit of a maudlin, rather than supportive, touch. Ages 4-8. (Aug.)