PICK A PUMPKIN by Patricia Toht & Jarvis – A perfect introduction to Halloween traditions

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. 

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.   

Using Fear in Writing for Children

Since it’s Hallowe’en, I’ve been thinking about how kids love to read spooky books and what scares them. Some fears reported by kids I know:

•  walking home alone
•  nothing
•  the creaking closet door when it's a little bit open and it looks like someone is staring at you
•  spiders and bugs
•  injections
•  heights
•  hurricanes

When I think back to some of the things that frightened me as a child, I can see that some of my fears are similar, while others have completely changed. Some of them, like my childhood fear of talking to adults who were not part of my family, I've grown out of because of my life experiences. Some of them are still with me, like getting spooked by unfamiliar noises when I'm home alone at night. Or my panic at the thought of taking up downhill skiing.

It’s interesting how some fears change over time and some don’t. Some things to think about when using fear in writing:

 

1) The backstory is important. If a character is fearful, then there are memories and experiences related to the fear that can provide more depth for the story. It doesn't have to mentioned in the story, but it gives more insights into the character.

 

2) Think like the reader. Since I write for children, to really get into my character’s mind, it’s helpful to list some of my own childhood fears (and other emotional experiences) as a reference for the kinds of fears kids might have. My adult fears can be different -- maybe not even something I was aware of or thought much about as a child. It's all about perspective.

 

Are you still afraid of anything you were afraid of as a child?

 

Halloween Fun

Halloween has always been one of my favourite celebrations. It's hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm of the kids. There's planning the costume, decorating of the yard to make it spooky, the traditional pumpkin carving, and of course, sorting and tasting all those yummy treats from the giant bag of loot.

For many kids, I bet Halloween ranks right up there with birthdays and Christmas as one of the year's best events. Strangely, I've never included Halloween in a story. When I think about how important it is to kids, now I want to. What kind of pumpkin face would your character make - scary or silly? How would they decorate - sweet smiling ghosts or a bloody murder scene? What costume would they wear? Would they collect treats or play pranks?

Have you ever included Halloween in a story?

P.S. The photo shows the pumpkins my daughters and I carved two years ago. Which pumpkin do you think I carved?

How is your writing going lately? Over at MiG Writers, we've posted a few of our tips for breaking a writing block.