A lucky toddler on Halloween might have a copy of Wendell Minor’s book How Big Could Your Pumpkin Grow? A really lucky toddler might also have a teenaged brother who is good for repeated readings and who knows you like your books where you can see the pictures without all that silly cuddling or sitting still. Of course, the teenager will be happier with multiple readings if there is something in the book for him. Rest at ease, this book fits the bill.
Starting in a rather normal pumpkin patch, the pumpkins quickly begin to grow larger and more absurd with each page turn. The sense that things will not be normal picks up as kids paddle their carved out pumpkins in a regatta. Multiple synonyms for “big” follow the pumpkins though national landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and Mt. Rushmore and folklore like Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe with the final pumpkin towering over the Grand Canyon. My personal favorite is the one spewing out the water for a waterfall in Yosemite.
The toddler will enjoy the pumpkins, the bright colors, and the story line. The teenager will get the jokes and see the art. Those needing an educational element will find a good one in the back matter with a two-page spread giving information about the fourteen sites pictured in the book.
Lacking a teenaged brother? – A parent, grandparent, or babysitter will do.
Too late to get the book by Halloween? – No problem, pumpkin season lasts at least through Thanksgiving.
Neither toddler nor teenager around? – Not to worry, locate your inner child and buy the book for yourself. If anybody asks, tell them you bought it to enjoy the art. You will not be lying.