Ten Orange Pumpkins: A Counting Book

Savage counts down from 10 as, one by one, pumpkins vanish in very Halloween-appropriate ways. Fans of Where’s Walrus and Savage’s Polar Bear books will recognize and appreciate the sleek design of Savage’s artwork, which still allows room for Halloween mischief, too. “Eight orange pumpkins/ Beneath a starry heaven./ Thunderclouds come rolling in./ Flash! There are 7,” he writes as a gleaming white zigzag of a lightning bolt obliterates one of the pumpkins, which are lined up in a graveyard in one scene. Ghosts, skeletons, and other holiday standbys also make appearances, and Savage’s spirited rhymes (no pun intended) make this an ideal readaloud for younger Halloween celebrants. Ages 3–5. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Aug.)