Pumpkin Island

In an enigmatic seasonal story with threads of the magical, a rising river washes away a pumpkin, whose seeds sprout on a small island. As the vines grow, the pumpkins become ubiquitous in the streets of Elkader, Iowa. After many pumpkin desserts, townsfolk convert the gourds into boats and houses. Just as the pumpkins “became such a problem that people started carting them away to the abandoned stone quarry,” Halloween arrives. In a dramatic spread, night has fallen over the town, and the faces of the many jack-o’-lantern faces glow hauntingly. While the pumpkins may be gone for the season, Geisert suggests with a final flowering tendril, vines rarely keep to themselves. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)