Pick a Pumpkin

In a sequel to their Christmas-themed Pick a Pine Tree, Toht and Jarvis follow a family and their circle of pals as they transform some humble pumpkin-patch residents into the ultimate symbol of Halloween: the jack-o’-lantern. As in the previous book, the rhymes are lively and lilting, even featuring some of the same cues (“But, wait!”) that push readers to the next spread. The pacing, leisurely but never slack, savors each stage of the pumpkins’ journey to spooky fabulousness, including the a wagon ride and the removal of “Clumpy seeds. Guts and things.” Jarvis’s bustling, chalk-textured pictures evoke the spirit of homespun fun, while the deep color palette—punctuated by radiant orange, of course (“Its red-hot eyes/ will gaze/ and flicker;/ Its fiery grin/ will blaze and snicker”)—feels like a favorite fall flannel. Ages 3–7. [em](July) [/em]