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Aria of the Sea
"Hard to imagine it being better written." -VOYA, October 2000 |
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Pumpkinhead
Written by Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by Steve Haskamp
Library Talk, starred review,
1/1/2002
"This deceptively simple tale tells the story of Pumpkinhead who lives in Pumpkintown where everyone has a pumpkin for a head. One day Pumpkinhead wonders if the entire world has pumpkins for heads, only to discover that no one in town really knows. The boy sets out to discover the truth, but is tricked by a couple of squirrels so that he reroutes home and comes back to Pumpkintown. . . . Award-winning storyteller Eric Kimmel's witty narrative is vividly complemented by Haskamp's delightful illustrations. Younger children will appreciate the straightforward, linear plot; older children will enjoy predicting the action and sharing the story's humor. . . . All readers will respond to the silly, vibrant illustrations that leap off the cover, text section, and end-pages. This book would work equally well as a tie-in for a unit on the fall harvest and Halloween or as an introduction to a unit on diversity. Highly Recommended."
School Library Journal,
9/1/2001
“ ‘Does everyone in the world have a pumpkin head?' In this goofy story, young Pumpkinhead goes to the library to find the answer to his question. The librarian tells him, ‘Nobody in Pumpkintown has ever been anywhere else.' So this orange-faced hero heads off on a journey beyond his town limits. . . . Haskamp's acrylic paintings suit this story perfectly. The artist's palette is full of oranges, yellows, reds, and browns with a few greens thrown in for good measure. Marvelous, colorful endpapers show the range of variation in the pumpkinhead look. This picture book can be enjoyed as part of a story program about autumn or about fools. Young readers will enjoy being in on the joke as the young hero proves that he is, well, a pumpkinhead.”
Kirkus Reviews,
8/15/2001
“One thing you can say about Pumpkintown: Everyone has squash for brains. Young Pumpkinhead, who lives in Pumpkintown with all the other pumpkinheads, gets to wondering: ‘Does everyone in the world have a pumpkin head?” All of the townsfolk figure that's probably the case, but then no one in town has ever been outside of town. All except Pumpkinhead's mother, who, by telling Pumpkinhead that the answer to that question is a mystery, sets the lad on his quest of discovery. . . . Bright with folly and tomfoolery, Kimmel's tale has universal application and is ideally depicted by Haskamp's crew of amiably clownish pumpkinheads.”
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