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| Book | Searching... Cox Landing Public Library | JE | Juvenile | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Peter's looking for the one perfect pumpkin. Come join the search and see what he does when he finds it!
Author Notes
Mary Serfozo is the author of several picture books, including Who Said Red? and What's What? A Guessing Game, both illustrated by Keiko Narahashi. She and her husband have two children and three grandchildren, and live in a solar home in Paso Robles, California.
Valeria Petrone has illustrated several books for children, including Ducks in Muck by Lori Haskins, Say Cheese! by Nancy Smiler Levinson, and Uh-Oh! by Marion Dane Bauer. She is the illustrator for Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo and, most recently, illustrated Way Down Deep in the Deep Blue Sea. She currently lives in Italy.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-One of the most refreshing aspects of this book is that it provides a wonderful selection for storyhours that isn't full of the typical Halloween imagery. There are no costumes, ghosts, or witches, and the word "Halloween" is not even mentioned in the text itself. Serfozo tackles a subject that has been covered many times before-selecting a pumpkin and turning it into a jack-o'-lantern. However, this title is far from old and stale. Peter, a boldly rendered and engaging tiger cub, is on the hunt for the perfect "sunny, sumptuous pumpkin." He does not want a "lumpy, bumpy pumpkin" or a "stumpy, grumpy pumpkin" or "some squat, lopsided pumpkin,/but a glossy lot of pumpkin." Finding one that meets his standards, he and his father carve "a simply dimply, dumply face." The large, vibrant illustrations are a perfect match for this short rhyming story. A quick, engaging read-aloud that will be enjoyed at many fall programs.-Piper L. Nyman, Fairfield/Suisun Community Library, Fairfield, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Now in a board book edition, Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin by Mary Serfozo, illus. by Valeria Petrone, stars a tiger cub who won't pick just any squash from the patch. PW wrote of the original, "Appealing wordplay and autumnal colors lend warmth to this tiger tale. Peter is a charmer." (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In rhyming, rhythmic text, tiger cub Peter searches for just the right sunny, sumptuous pumpkin in which to carve a simply dimply, dumply face. The warm, bold illustrations perfectly suit this simple jack-oÆ-lantern tale. There are no other specific references to Halloween, making this a good choice for those celebrating the season rather than the holiday. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Marbles-in-your-mouth wordplay fun as a tiger cub searches for a prime pumpkin specimen. Set to color-saturated artwork, this piece of simple yet exuberant verse follows Peter as he selects from pumpkins lumpy and bumpy, stumpy and grumpy. And pray, "Not some squat, lopsided pumpkin, / but a glossy lot of pumpkin." Having scoured the expressionistic and very orange landscapes and located his perfect pumpkin, Peter is tempted to turn the beauty into "Pumpkin pudding? / Pumpkin fry? / Pumpkin salad? / Pumpkin stew? / What is Peter going to do?" What he does is shuffle home with the pumpkin and with the help of his father carve it into a glorious jack-'o-lantern. There is a soothing flow to this story as Peter moves from the hunt for the perfect pumpkin-endowed with the romantic, otherworld qualities of a quest through lambent and surreal scenery, where even the trees look like big, round pumpkins-to that most curious of symbols, the jack-'o-lantern, whose associations can be plumbed to a fare-thee-well. (Picture book. 3-6)
Booklist Review
Ages 3-6. Peter the little tiger is looking for the perfect pumpkin. He doesn't want a "lumpy, bumpy pumpkin" or a "stumpy, grumpy pumpkin"; he's looking for a "showy, glowy pumpkin." The mystery is why he wants one: he's not a pumpkin eater; he doesn't want it for pumpkin pickles, salad, or pie. The answer comes when Peter finally finds one that's just right--and with his dad's help, he carves the perfect jack-o-lantern. Toddlers will relish the bouncy, rhyming stanzas and silly wordplay, which help make this a great, nonspooky Halloween storytime choice. The subtly textured computer-generated art has solid child appeal, thanks to a vibrant primary-color palette and simply depicted, easily recognizable objects' enhanced with bold black outlines. Peter is a cute, sweet-faced cartoonlike character, as are his animal friends, who show the fruits of their labors at book's end. --Shelle Rosenfeld
