PUMPKIN HILL

Just in time for Halloween comes this pourquoi tale of a pumpkin left to its own devices on a hill, until it multiplies over time to the point of producing a golden avalanche. So many pumpkins pour into the valley town, there are more than enough for pies and jack-o’-lanterns for everyone. The result is a ban on the scattering of pumpkin seeds and adoption of the custom of roasting and eating them instead. Sadly, this clever idea is presented in language that limps, impossible to read aloud smoothly. The cartoon-style illustrations, filled with orange and green, feature anthropomorphized animals and insects as well as a stereotypical farmer and his wife along with diverse townspeople. It all ends with instructions for growing a single giant pumpkin and roasting pumpkin seeds (with adult help). Only for libraries in need of more holiday titles. (Picture book. 4-8)