About the Holiday
Autumn just wouldn’t be the same without pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin spice, and Halloween without jack-o-lanterns? Not nearly as fun! Even the seeds of these orange gourds we celebrate today are delicious with a little roasting. Whether you like pumpkins that are perfectly round or a little misshapen, small or behemoth, visit a pumpkin patch today and pick your perfect pumpkins!
Thanks to Hippo Park for sending me this book for review!
The Very Unusual Pumpkin
Written by Marilyn Singer | Illustrated by Maya Shleifer
Lulu loves her grandmother, but when it comes to telling stories, well . . . her grandma’s stories are a bit . . . lame. Take her latest, for instance. It was about a very ugly pumpkin that no one wanted to pick. Then someone did pick it and “turned it into a lovely pie. The end.” Lulu looked at her grandmother askance and decided “she needed to teach her how to tell good stories.” Lulu asked her grandmother to tell the pumpkin story again, only instead of just accepting that the pumpkin was ugly, Lulu asked what made it so. When Grandma fleshed out the pumpkin’s appearance a bit, Lulu thought it was more unusual than ugly.
Undeterred, Grandma added a fairy godmother and was ready to move on, but Lulu wanted to know more about her. Grandma dug deeper and imagined some magic that proved her powers. Once satisfied, Lulu allowed her to continue. The pumpkin, Grandma said “wished to be “perfectly round and glowingly orange.” The fairy godmother raised her wand to grant this wish and ensure the pumpkin would become a pie, but Lulu stopped the story right there. Was this the best they could do? Grandma suggested a few more ideas, but Lulu found them boring and derivative.
Instead, Lulu said the fairy godmother should turn the pumpkin into a little girl who goes to fairy godmother school to learn how to grant wishes to all her pumpkin friends. Now, Grandma was getting excited by all the possibilities and took over the storytelling. Her new world-building was creative and innovative and down-home cozy. Not only were Grandma’s stories “‘very good stories . . . they were unusual!'”
Marilyn Singer channels her prodigious talent for writing “very good stories” into her latest warm and humorous tale that will swell the hearts of all readers. While her fun family story explores the nature of original storytelling, it also encourages kids to reject the expected or mundane in favor of an authentic and adventurous life. Grandma’s embrace of her imagination suggests it’s never too late to blossom. Singer’s close and trusting relationship between granddaughter and grandmother is endearing.
Maya Shleifer’s striking acrylic, watercolor, and paint marker illustrations brim with expression, from Lulu and Grandma’s interactions to the anthropomorphic pumpkin patch, to the pets and toys sprinkled throughout the pages. The brilliant pumpkins and foliage set against a black background are luminescent, and each pumpkin’s individuality bolsters Singer’s theme. As the story takes its dramatic turn, kids will love picking up on clothing and hair color for new characters.
An exceptional collaboration of storytelling and art, the heartwarming and humorous The Very Unusual Pumpkin is a book that kids will ask for again and again. It makes a perfect gift for or from a grandmother and is a must for all libraries.
Ages 4 – 8
Hippo Park, 2026 | ISBN 978-1662641015
About the Author
Winner of the 2015 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry, as well as numerous other honors, Marilyn Singer is the author of more than 120 for children and young adults, including Mirror Mirror (Dial), I’m the Big One Now! (Wordsong) and six picture books about Tallulah, a young ballet student (Clarion). She likes to challenge herself by writing on many topics in many genres. Marilyn lives in Brooklyn, NY and Washington, CT with her husband, who’s also her favorite dance partner, and several pets. Visit her at marilynsinger.net.
About the Illustrator
Maya Shleifer is an illustrator, author, and designer who loves creating stories that bring laughter and joy to children. She has illustrated over 20 picture books, many of which have been translated and published internationally, reaching children in many countries. Her work has received international recognition and several awards. Visit her at mayashleifer.com.
National Pumpkin Day Activity
Rock . . . Paint . . . Jack-O’-Lantern!
Make your own unusual pumpkin or jack-o’-lantern with rocks carefully chosen for their personality! You can create just one or a whole pumpkin patch!
Supplies
- Round, smooth rock ( or rocks in a variety of sizes)
- Orange craft paint, and other colors for a multi-hued pumpkin patch
- Black permanent marker or black craft paint
- Short sturdy twig (one for each rock)
- Hot glue gun or strong glue
- Paintbrush
Directions
- Clean and dry the rock
- Paint the rock, let dry
- Draw or paint a jack-o’-lantern face on the rock, let dry
- Glue the short twig to the top of the rock pumpkin
You can purchase The Very Unusual Pumpkin from these booksellers
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop
Picture Book Review
