Isabella Murphy

This is a really cute picture book about Pumpker, a little boy pumpkin, who just wants to be picked by a boy or girl so he can bring them laughter in some way. He wants to be loved by a family. It starts out with his being planted in the ground alongside his sisters, Plumpalicious and Plumpilina. Then he grows into a pumpkin and, along with his sisters, is chosen by a family just in time for Halloween.

This story was written by Isabella Murphy when she was in fifth grade. She is now only 13 years old. Illustrator Natalia Pérez perfectly captured the tone of the story in her beautiful illustrations.

I think children can easily relate to the feelings this little pumpkin has – feeling lonely, feeling fear, wanting to be free like the birds, just wanting to be loved. I think this book is suited for 2nd – 3rd grades as there are a lot of words on most pages. Younger children would probably have difficulty with the names, especially Plumpilina.

This is the perfect book for a Halloween read.… (más)