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The Very Best Pumpkin

by Mark Kimball Moulton
32p. 978-1-41698-288-3.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—Moulton and Good team up for a tender autumn story, written in well-turned prose. Peter has been taking special care of a lonely little pumpkin on his grandparents' farm. When bookish Meg, a fan of The Secret Garden, moves in next door, he befriends her and they share "the very best pumpkin." The gentle story is complemented by glowing, folksy illustrations rendered in watercolors and artfully enhanced with instant coffee and bleach. The simply drawn, wide-eyed characters; country setting; and warm palette echo Joan Walsh Anglund's and Mary Englebreit's cozy worlds. A final page, "Peter's Guide to Growing Your Own Very Best Pumpkin," is a welcome extension for at-home gardeners.—Amy Rowland, Shelter Rock Elementary School, Manhasset, NY
Young Peter, who lives with his grandparents on a farm, carefully tends a special pumpkin growing by itself in a nearby meadow. At the same time, a lonely girl moves in next door. Not surprisingly, the children's friendship blossoms in parallel with the pumpkin's growth. Unfussy illustrations in an autumnal color palette set an inviting scene and complement the rather bland text.
Reviewed by Amy Rowland , Jul 01, 2010

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