Little Pumpkin

June 1, 2022

Baby-Toddler-In this spooky installment of the "You Are the Light" series, Little Pumpkin and Big Pumpkin welcome a cast of nighttime forest animals to the annual Halloween Ball. Under the moonlit night sky, Cat, Owl, Spider, and others tenderly express their love for Little Pumpkin using a repeating rhyme scheme: "You are the light that sparkles bright, / when all around is darkest night./ Everyone gathers to see the sight./ Little Pumpkin, we love you!" Kalindi's adorable stylized illustrations are clear and boldly colored, with the predictable combination of orange pumpkins against a purple background. However, there is not significant variation in the layout from spread to spread, which may cause readers to lose interest. The overall presentation is quite similar to the "You're My Little" board books, but, unfortunately, Edwards's book cannot compete with the spell of that series. Still, young readers and grown-ups who enjoy those books will want to try this one out. VERDICT A charming board book. Not an essential purchase, but sure to vanish from public library shelves at Halloween.-Emily Brush

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2022
Pumpkins, owls, spiders, a cat, and a bat gather under a tree to join the Halloween Ball. A small pumpkin sits next to a larger one as sweet things are said about it. Though the sentiments expressed are charming, at times the rhyming text likely won't have much resonance for younger readers: "You are the light that sparkles bright, / when all around is darkest night. / Everyone gathers to see the sight." Or "You are the light / that warms our friends, / when the dark / and cold descends. / We will dance / before night ends." Each spread ends with "Little Pumpkin, we love you!" The intended audience may overlook making meaning out of the text as they focus instead on the illustrations. The artwork, though a bit static and on the generic side, is nevertheless pleasant and toddler friendly, with the characters set against a background in appealing nighttime hues of blue, teal, and purple. This one likely won't become a Halloween read-aloud favorite. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Though the sentiment is sweet, the delivery falls flat. (Board book. 1-3)

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