Five little pumpkins are sitting quietly on a fence when night falls and they are joined by a cast of creepy characters. Witches, spiders, bats, frogs, and ghosts appear, all determined to cause plenty of Halloween mischief. Spot-laminated pumpkins shine on the cover of this spirited padded board book. Wickedly funny with just the right amount of spooky, Five Little Pumpkins is a terrific treat!

Lexile: AD 250

Night is falling and five little pumpkins are sitting on a gate. Tonight is not just any night, it is Halloween night, so as the moon rises strange things start to happen. Witches swoop over the pumpkins, big black spiders drop down on them, and the pumpkins “run and run” as ghosts and other spooky things fill the night air. Then the pumpkins decide to “have some fun” and the evening becomes even more interesting.

 

This amusing board book will perfectly suit little children who enjoy Halloween.

 

November 2010, Through The Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

PreS-K–In this board-book version of the popular rhyme, the opening spread takes readers to the patch where five pumpkins of various sizes and shapes sit on a gate. Their expressions give each one a unique personality. With the exception of one phrase, the text remains close to the usual wording of this traditional finger play. Instead of calling out “but we don’t care,” the third little pumpkin says, “Good folk, beware!” To keep with the nighttime setting, Mantle uses a range of blues and purples, and the pumpkins easily stand out in the dark backgrounds. Grandmotherly-looking witches fly in the air as their brooms leave behind a stream of tiny stars. Children will notice other eye-catching details, including the spotted green moon, frog with a pointy hat, red-eyed black spiders, and purple cat. The concluding page’s yellow green sky lets readers know that morning is approaching. The spreads are not as cluttered as those in Iris Van Rynback’s Five Little Pumpkins (Boyds Mills, 1995), and the pumpkins have friendlier personalities in comparison to those in Dan Yaccarino’s Five Little Pumpkins (HarperFestival, 1998). While other versions of this seasonal rhyme exist, this one is fresh and comical.–Lynn K. Vanca, Akron-Summit County Public Library, Richfield, OH

 

November 2010, School Library Journal

Kristi

This very cute rhyming book will teach your little ones a new way to count to five. It's a spooky fun treat for the kids and very colorful and whimsical for Halloween.

This is a great story to read after you've carved the pumpkins and it's time for bed.