Carving
pumpkins is one of my favorite fall activities! After I read this, I knew I just
had to read it to my kindergarten students. Another great book for my personal teaching collection.
Summary from Amazon:
Pairing a wonderfully rhythmic read-aloud
text with expressive retro illustrations, author Patricia Toht and illustrator
Jarvis capture all the excitement and familial feeling of a favorite holiday
tradition. Readers will be happy to follow along with each step, from picking
out the perfect specimen at the pumpkin patch (be sure to stop for cider and
toffee apples) to carting it home, scooping out the insides, carving a scary
face, and finally lighting a candle inside — savoring the familiar ritual of
transforming an ordinary pumpkin into a one-of-a-kind glowing jack-o’-lantern.
Pick a Pumpkin, written by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis, was published by Candlewick Press in 2019.
Pick a Pumpkin, written by Patricia Toht and illustrated by Jarvis, was published by Candlewick Press in 2019.
Opening:
Pick a pumpkin
from the patch—
tall and lean
or short and fat.
My Thoughts as a Writer:
The process
of picking and carving a pumpkin is brought to life here with lovely language
and illustrations. Study this one to see how the author carefully chooses words
to evoke the feeling of fall. The rhymes and near rhymes work very well. I really
enjoyed the gorgeous illustrations – they enhance the story, adding lots of
extra detail and creating images of a treasured family experience.
My Thoughts as an Educator:
The length of
this story is perfect for reading to kindergarteners and preschoolers! Kids
will love examining all the details in the illustrations. This book would be a
great introduction to Halloween traditions as well as a book to read afterward
to make connections to life experiences. An excellent choice for a library or
classroom collection!
Ages: 4-8
Grades: PreK – 2
Themes: pumpkins, Halloween, family
traditions
Activities:
Discuss: What
is your favorite page in the book? Why?
Art: Provide
pencil crayons, paints, crayons for students to create their own Halloween
scene.
STEAM
Challenge: Create a pumpkin face using paper shapes, cutting out the eyes, nose
and mouth. Hang it up on a window to see light shine through!
Check out this interesting interview with author Patricia Toht at BookSeedStudio.
Thanks for the reminder. I've been meaning to check this book out. And now is the time!
ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful book! Buying pie pumpkins, baking them and bagging my pumpkin for holiday pies, are might favorite.
ReplyDeleteLove this book. I glanced through it recently and intend to purchase it next time I'm at B&N. Thanks for the great review of it.
ReplyDelete