Five Little Pumpkins

September 28, 1998
In Five Little Pumpkins, illus. by Dan Yaccarino, five carved pumpkins watch ghosts and witches fly by on Halloween night. Bold colors, expressive pumpkins and dramatic perspectives complement the spirited rhyming text. R.W. Alley's lively, humorous illustrations for There Once Was a Witch depict a cheerful Halloween night with costumed trick-or-treaters and a fun-loving, broomstick-surfing witch. The music and lyrics for this traditional song appear on the last spread.

February 1, 1999
PreS-Five Little Pumpkins repeats the well-known fingerplay. In Yaccarino's illustrations, garish orange jack-o'-lanterns with stark black eyes are accompanied by a blankly staring white ghost and a black cat. Although this short poem has been a perennial favorite of the storytime set, some children may find these faces frightening rather than appealing. In Wrapping Paper Romp, Plecas depicts a cheerful, round-faced toddler in orange pajamas tearing apart a colorfully wrapped present as a cat paws at a bow. Hubbell's rhyming couplets will hold youngsters' interest as they recognize the peek-a-boo game that the main character plays with the kitten behind the purple tissue paper. Skip the pumpkins and romp with the tamer of the two.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA

December 15, 1998
Ages 1^-4. The old song, "Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate" appears in board book form here, accompanied by large, vibrant illustrations featuring midnight blue and glowing orange. Simplified forms of jack-o'-lanterns and ghosts cavort through the lively double-page spreads, offering little ones plenty to look at while the rhyme is read or sung. A good storyhour choice for little ones. ((Reviewed December 15, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)