It's Not About You, Mr. Pumpkin

It’s Not About You Mr. Pumpkin, is a unique tool for parents, grandparents and teachers to share both the historical and religious background of the holiday with young readers. The fun and colorful illustrations give children the opportunity to see styles of the past as they learn the origins and true story behind this holiday.

What I Like: For quite some time now, my family and I have not celebrated Halloween. With my children in public school, October is challenging in reminding my young children why exactly why we don't celebrate Halloween when all of their school friends are. They struggle with explaining it to their curious friends. Author Soraya Coffelt did an extraordinary job writing a book that explains the true meaning of Halloween in an easy and delightful way that children can grasp.

All in all, the book's overall content is wonderful and a must have resource for families that do not celebrate Halloween.

What I Dislike: I am torn with the illustrations and cover of the book. Although illustrator Tea Seroya is talented, I'm a little concerned that the illustrations are contradicting what the book is meant to convey. Happy jack-o-lanterns and smiling children seem to say that Halloween is fun. On the other hand, it is a children's book and I wouldn't expect scary illustrations either.

I was a little disappointed with the last line and illustration of the book where the author encourages carving something nice on a jack-o-lantern as an alternative. The drawing in a full page of a jack-o-lantern with a cross carved on its forehead. I think that one line would confuse children and keep them interested in Halloween, which would defeat the purpose of the book in the first place.


Overall Rating: Very Good.

Age Appeal: 5-10 Years.

Publisher Info: Morgan James Publishing, 2015; ISBN: 9781630476397; Paperback, 32 pgs., $8.99

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Mainstream Review: The Witches by Roald Dahl

As September draws to a close, signs of Halloween are popping up everywhere.  In many elementary school classrooms, The Witches by Roald Dahl is standard, read-aloud fare. After two attempts, I have finally finished reading this quirky, bizarre story.

After a young boy's parents are tragically killed while on holiday in Norway, he goes to live with his Grandmamma. Grandmamma loves her grandson, but smokes a "foul cigar" and fills her grandson's head with horrifying tales of witches, who:

"...dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses and work in ORDINARY JOBS...A real witch spends all her time plotting to get rid of the children in her particular territory. Her passion is to do away with them one by one. It is all she thinks about the whole day long. Even if she is working as a cashier in a supermarket or typing letters for a businessman, or driving around in a fancy car...her mind will always be plotting and scheming and churning and burning and whizzing and phizzing with murderous bloodthirsty thought."

After this alarming notice on page one, we get involved in the boy's adventures. After he has been properly warned (terrified, actually) about all women who wear gloves, and "even the nice teacher reading this story," the boy has the misfortune to run into a convention of witches run by the Grand High Witch herself. He becomes mixed up in the witches' evil plot to turn all children into mice, so the people of England will exterminate them.

Plot Spoiler Ahead:  The boy's bravery and quick wit, coupled with his grandmamma's diversionary tactics result in the witches' plan backfiring, and English children being saved from witches. The boy is content to live the rest of his life as a mouse, even though mice have a shorter life span than people. The boy and his grandmamma resolve to live the rest of their lives trying to dispose of as many witches as possible.

Ink line drawings by Quentin Blake are scattered throughout.

What I Like:  There is a hilarious episode where the boy, who has been turned into a mouse, runs up the trousers of a chef, and ends up in his knickers. Although the scene could be considered inappropriate, I found myself laughing out loud.

I admire the boy's bravery. He is determined to save children from the witches, and thinks up creative, resourceful ways to combat their evil plans. He is not content to rest when England is rid of witches, but instead, wants to continue fighting them regardless of where they live.

What I Dislike:  Despite the boy's bravery, this is a creepy book.  I can't figure out what age would enjoy reading it.  If you were old enough not to be terrified of the witches, it seems you would be too old to enjoy the plot.

When the boy asks his grandmamma how she can be sure the Grand High Witch exists, she responds, "Nobody has ever seen the Devil, but we know he exists." Ordinary women are described as potential witches, and the boy can't tell if women are nice or not, given his grandmamma's descriptions. Grandmamma's insistence that witches are real, and her descriptions of them being disguised as regular women makes the book more scary than the average fairy tale. 

There is a fairly graphic description of the Grand High Witches' rotting face, (hidden under a mask), and children are described as smelling like "poo" to witches.

Overall Rating:  Ho-Hum--I would stick to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
 
Age Appeal:  8-12 (Publisher lists 7 and up)

Publisher Info: Scholastic, 1983; ISBN: 978-0-590-03249-0 ; Paperback, 208 pages, $6.99

 

The Pumpkin Gospel

If you're looking for a way to explain what Jesus does for us, The Pumpkin Gospel by Mary Manz Simon is a great place to start. In well-written rhyme, Simon uses a carved pumpkin to illustrate how God gives us a "clean heart," forgiving "our mess-ups" and offering us "a new start."

The illustrations my Matt Whitlock show a father and two children carving a pumpkin. First the kids notice the slimey, stringy goo inside the pumpkin. It reminds them of "my insides before God makes me new." Then they scoop out the glop and clean the inside of the pumpkin - just like God cleans them of sin. The kids carve a smiling pumpkin, then put a candle inside it.

"God's love is like a candle
that shines from inside out.
It's beaming deep within me,
and so I now can shout.
To glow like my big pumpkin
and have a nice clean heart,
ask God to please forgive you.
You'll have a brand new start."

What I Like: Both my toddler and my kindergartner like this book a lot, and so do I. Using a carved pumpkin to illustrate how God "cleans" us is a simple and effective way to make the concept really stick with kids. This is an ideal book to read before, after, or while you carve a pumpkin. In addition, I really appreciate that each page features an appropriate Bible verse at the bottom of the page. For example, the first page, which talks about how pumpkins can show us about God giving us clean hearts quotes Psalm 51:7: "Wash me...until I am clean and whiter than snow."

What I Dislike: This isn't really a dislike, but it's tough not to compare this book to Crystal Bowman's My Happy Pumpkin (read our review of that book here). As it happens, The Pumpkin Gospel was published first. I think Simon's book also explains the concept more clearly. The Pumpkin Gospel's illustrations aren't quite as nice, in my opinion, but while My Happy Pumpkin is really designed for kids under 4, The Pumpkin Gospel is best for kids 4 and up.

My only real complaints about The Pumpkin Gospel is that it never mentions Jesus ("just" God) and that the glow-in-the-dark features don't work well. To be able to actually read the book with the lights out, you have to charge each two page spread with a bright light, turn off the light, read, turn the page, turn on a bright light to charge the next two page spread, turn off the light, read, and so on. Rather than do this, I suggest parents read the book through with the lights on, then turn off the lights and give their child a flashlight to play with the glow-in-the-dark feature.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 - 8.

Publishing Info: Standard Publishing, 2005; ISBN: 978-0784717585; board book, 12 pgs., $10.99

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Special Info: Read our reviews of other books by this author.

P is for Pumpkin

P is for Pumpkin: God's Harvest Alphabet was written by Kathy-jo Wargin and illustrated by Yawen Ariel Pang. The top of each page gives a short story or explanation, told in rhyming verse. The bottom of each page reiterates the something specific that starts with the featured letter. For example: "Apples and Acorns and all sorts of things -- Let's find the blessings that God's autumn brings. A is for Apple."
The bold illustrations show diverse characters through great contrast and rich colors.
What I Like: The text clearly represents the omnipresence of God. Almost every page talks about what He has provided for us and how He talks with us in every place and situation. It encourages a relationship with Him; I like that. I also appreciate anything that furthers literacy and reading readiness.
What I Dislike: The split text makes it cumbersome to read. I recommend reading just the story at the top or just the letters at the bottom. Otherwise, it feels like a continual self-interruption.
The illustrations are odd; all the characters sport heavy eyebrows and cone-like noses. Every time we turned the page, my children would ask "Mommy, why are those people so cross?" They even found some characters "scary" who weren't meant to be.
Finally, I'm not thrilled with the choice of words featured for each letter. I would have preferred that all references to Halloween be omitted. In this alphabet, D, J and T stand for Dress-up, Jack-o-lanterns and Trick-or-treat. Others will be unfamiliar to many children, especially those who don't live in rural areas. For example, the page on C talks about corn mazes and Q talks about the Quilting Bee. My kids (raised just outside NYC) didn't recognize these; they also didn't understand Harvest, Indian Corn, Orchards or Ravens. If you live in the country, perhaps these are familiar to your children. But if you live in an urban area, you may have a lot to explain.
Overall Rating: Ho-hum.
Age Appeal: 4-7
Publisher Info: ZonderKidz, 2008; ISBN: 0310711800; Hardback; $15.99
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Let's Shine Jesus' Light on Halloween

Sometimes Christian parents struggle to spiritualize pagan holidays and cultural events. This book is a great help for them.

Written by Diane Stortz and illustrated by Rusty Fletcher, Let's Shine Jesus' Light on Halloween follows a young boy as he celebrates this popular holiday. Certain traditions of Halloween are each countered by truths about God and supporting Bible verses. For example, the the first page offers a description of some spooky sights, then explains we don't need to be afraid because God has "overcome the world," (John 16:33).

The book also talks about carving smiling jack-o-lanterns (God's love makes us smile), wearing costumes (God knows everything about the 'real' us), using a flashlight to see in the dark (God's word is a lamp unto our feet), and receiving lots of treats (being friends with Jesus is the sweetest reward). The last page offers this prayer:

"Dear God, Even though Halloween is a lot of fun, sometimes it can be a little scary, too. I'm glad that Jesus is the light of the world. Thank you for always watching over me so I don't have to be afraid. Amen."

The illustrations are bright and friendly. They feature plenty of contrast. Please note that Jesus' face is pictured twice in a frame above the child's bed.

What I Like: I like how this book addresses the fear many children have around Halloween. We don't celebrate Halloween in our home, but our daughter (four years old) is very interested in it because all of her friends are. This book reminds her to trust in God even when she's afraid. Finally, I appreciate all the Bible verses. They are quoted in their entirety with references.

What I Dislike: The title is misleading. I borrowed this from the library expecting it to be about kid-friendly evangelism, how to use Halloween to witness to neighbors and friends. Instead it was about how to make Halloween more "Christian."

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 3-5

Publisher Info: Standard Publishing, 2002; ISBN: 0784713820; Boardbook; $8.99

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Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween?

Mommy, Why Don't We Celebrate Halloween? by Linda Hacon Winwood is part of the "Mommy Why?" series. Whether or not to celebrate Halloween is a debate in Christian homes across America. This book uses a dialog between a mother and her two children to explain the history of the holiday and how that history is still relevant today. The children, a boy and a girl, ask great questions forcing their mom to come up with real answers. What's wrong with "dressing up and getting candy?" If holidays are to honor something, "what do we honor at Halloween?" "What about pumpkins?" "If Halloween is so evil, why do so many Christian schools and churches still go trick-or-treating, march in parades and have Halloween parties?" If we don't believe those things, can we still participate just for fun?

Al Berg served as illustrator for this book. His drawings feature a loving family. A few scenes of history are also depicted. The back of the book includes a "suggested lesson plan" of five different activities for use at home or in schools.

What I Like: I learned a lot from this book! My family has never celebrated Halloween, but now as a parent, I've had difficulty understanding and explaining why. I knew I didn't like it, but couldn't decipher if it was just me or something more spiritual. This book does a fantastic job presenting the facts, comparing them to Scripture and leaving the decision up to us.

What I Dislike: While marketed as a book for children, this really is not. This is a book for parents. The text far outweighs the illustrations. There is an illustration for each page of text, but they are completely colorless and not very appealing to children. Rather than read this book to their kids, I recommend parents read the book themselves then use the information they gain to start a conversation of their own.

Overall Rating: Poor as a children's book; Very Good as a resource for parents.

Age Appeal: 4-8 (according to the publisher)

Publisher Info: Destiny Image, 1995; ISBN: 1560438231; Paperback; $5.99

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My Happy Pumpkin

Halloween will soon be upon us, making many Christian parents wonder just what to do with the season. My Happy Pumpkin, by Crystal Bowman, is a treasure for parents who wish to take a pagan symbol (the jack-o-lantern) and turn it into something with Christian meaning.

Subtitled "God's Love Shining Through Me," this board book - filled with colorful illustrations and rhyming text - tells the story of a young boy whose daddy is a farmer. The daddy plants seeds that soon turn into a pumpkin patch. The boy chooses his favorite, then:

"We wash it and dry it, then cut off the top.
We scoop out the seeds and the pulp and the slop.
We take all the mess and we throw it away -
into the trash - that's where it will stay."

The boy and his father carve out eyes, a nose, and a smiling mouth, then put a candle inside so the pumpkin can shine in the night. Then the boy compares his pumpkin (which, incidentally, is never referred to as a jack-o-lantern) to himself. He says God picked him out and made him "like new" by washing away his sins and throwing them away. The boy concludes that he tries to "be good" so other people can see "God's love and God's light shining through me."

What I Like: The illustrations, by Claudine Gevry, are bright, colorful, and inviting. The author does a terrific job at taking a familiar object (the jack-o-lantern) and turning it into a spiritual lesson. The comparison between the pumpkin and the boy is made clear without beating us over the head, too. Although the young children for whom this book is targeted may not quite understand sin, and the author does not attempt to explain it, parents will find My Happy Pumpkin to be an excellent introduction to the topic. Best of all, parents can walk their child through the concept again by carving a pumpkin. Even if you don't do it in association with Halloween, the physicality of the carving - coupled with a reminder of the book you've just read - is a terrific way to cement the concept of God washing away our sins.

What I Dislike: Bowman does a great job with the rhyming text, although there is one spot where she doesn't use a perfect rhyme.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: 4 and under.

Publishing Info: Zonderkidz, 2007; ISBN: 0310711606; board book, $6.99.

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Special Info: You can see a portfolio of illustrator Claudine Gevry's work online.

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

The Pumpkin Patch Parable, written by Liz Curtis Higgs and illustrated by Nancy Munger, is yet another book in the Parable Series. Even though the story is about pumpkins, it’s not about Halloween, as the author points out in the introduction to the book: “Since the Lord Himself created pumpkins, it seemed appropriate to redeem this familiar symbol of the harvest season for his good purpose.” The story is about a farmer who grows pumpkins. Each year he tends them and watches them grow. When the pumpkins are ready for harvest, he picks them and chooses one for a jack-o-lantern. The farmer turns the pumpkin into a beacon on his porch for all his neighbors to see and enjoy. Bible verses throughout the text illustrate how God wants us to shine our lights for all to see.

What I like: The story was different, and I liked that. The main character was the farmer, but I guess you could also count the pumpkin as a character. The story wasn’t written with children as the main characters, but any child who is familiar with pumpkins will enjoy the story. And, the illustrations throughout the book are as bright and colorful as those on the cover.

What I dislike: Nothing.

Overall Rating: Excellent.

Age Appeal: Ages 4-8.

Publishing Info: Tommy Nelson Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0785277226; Hardcover.

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Special Info: Other stories in the Parable Series include: The Parable of the Lily, The Sunflower Parable, and The Pine Tree Parable.