It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

September 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-Every fall, one faithful fictional character writes a very important letter to the Great Pumpkin. And every fall, countless children watch and rewatch the television classic that tells the story of Schulz's Peanuts characters on Halloween night. This retelling of the beloved Halloween TV special includes the same costumes, characters, trick-or-treating, and the wait for the Great Pumpkin. However, this abridged version removes several scenes that Peanuts fans will be sure to miss. Snoopy's debut as a World War I Flying Ace is relegated to an aside, with the scene of Schulz's trusty dog seeking the Red Baron and retreating into the French countryside completely absent from this version. Here, kids don't watch Lucy wake up in the middle of the night to find Linus asleep in the pumpkin patch. Instead, the text reads, "Linus falls asleep waiting, and later that night Lucy comes to bring him home and tuck him into his warm bed" over a previous illustration. Those hoping to read and view all of the familiar parts of the TV special might notice the missing scenes, while younger listeners and those that are new to the story might enjoy the heart of this beloved work just the same. Jeralds's bold illustrations are fun and bright and the cover uses catching holographic foil and embossing, but the adapted text summarizes more than it does share a story. VERDICT Just as Sally feels robbed of Halloween, some readers may find themselves deprived of a full, unabridged retelling of this classic. An additional purchase.-Brianne Colombo, Pequannock Township Public Library, NJ

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