Picking at the Patch! Pick A Pumpkin by Patricia Toht

PICK A PUMPKIN FROM THE PATCH.

TALL AND LEAN,
SHORT OR FAT

VIVID ORANGE,
GHOSTLY WHITE

OR SPECKLED GREEN MIGHT BE JUST RIGHT.

It's a family expedition to the local patch, a rare treat in these days, when perforce most pumpkins come from a store, a unique chance to see those amazing plants still growing in the autumn sunlight in all their variety! How do you choose the best one for your family from so much pumpkin plentitude?

And then--you make your pick... and get to actually PICK it!

Back home,  add a friend or two to your crew! There's another big decision to be made.   What sort of face shall your pumpkin head have?

Eyes that are round? Spooky! Eyes that are half-moons? Goofy! Triangular eyes? Upside... or down...or sideways? Merry... or scary! Slitty Eyes? Frightful! So many choices!

And when you're done with the carving and the purple twilight grows nigh, it's SHOW TIME for your pumpkin! Get everyone in on the big reveal!

STRIKE A MATCH.
THE WICK WILL CATCH.

SEE THE GLOW OUTSIDE YOUR DOOR.
IT'S A PUMPKIN... NO MORE!

It's a lucky bunch of kids who get to go from picking a pumpkin in the patch to proudly leaving their creation to guard the door while they sally forth, merry or scary, and see how their neighbors' Jack o' lanterns are carved. Even big city kids can have a vicarious experience of the process from picking to going public with your own pumpkin in Patricia Thot's piquantly rhymed do-it-yourself picture book, Pick a Pumpkin (Candlewick Press, 2019).  Illustrator Jarvis perfectly portrays the entire process from patch to Jack, and this one is great for reading aloud or for browsing by both readers and pre-readers alike. Exults Kirkus Reviews "The nearly flawless rhythm of the text is a pleasure to read and will likely become a favorite... Enchanting!"

And.. if Halloween comes, can Christmas be far around the corner? Author Toht's and artist Jarvis' earlier hands-on Christmas tree forest tale is Pick a Pine Tree!

Or for a purely urban patchless pumpkin tale, share this one with Lucy Cumming's best-selling Stumpkin. (Read my review here.)

And for more pumpkin lore, pair this one with Gail Gibbons' charming historical look at the all-American pumpkin--from feeding the Pilgrims to Halloween's favorite emblem, Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie, or pumpkin spiced everything--The Pumpkin Book.