But I'm a Pumpkin!: A Summerween Story by Heidi Moreno, Kat Choppy
Genres: Gardening, Holiday
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Goodreads

Author: Kat Choppy

Illustrator: Heidi Moreno

This picture book for ages 3-7 is about a little girl who can’t wait for Halloween. She plants a pumpkin patch and eagerly monitors the growth of her plants. The growing pumpkins can’t wait for Halloween either; they look forward to being turned into jack-o-lanterns. However, the girl finds a pumpkin with green stripes that just isn’t turning orange. She tries everything, from giving it extra water to thinking the halloweeniest thoughts, but it stays green. At first, the little girl is devastated to learn that her favorite pumpkin isn’t a pumpkin at all! But, she still carves it into a jack-o-lantern and creates a new Summerween tradition.

This reviewer’s favorite illustration is at the end of the book and depicts the old wilted, smelly ant-filled watermelon on the porch with the freshly- made pumpkin jack-o-lanterns. This book will inspire readers to create their own watermelon jack-o-lanterns.

5 stars

Reviewed by: Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay