We're Going on a Pumpkin Hunt

August 1, 2020
Going on a pumpkin hunt isn't for scaredy-cats. No, it's for six costumed animal pals, on the prowl for the "biggest pumpkin in town" on a dark night. Inspired by the classic We're Going on a Bear Hunt, this peppy tale also stars an intrepid, adventurous band trekking through a who-knows-what-we'll-find? landscape. As in that story, some odd noises punctuate the journey past various obstacles. "Are you scared?" asks one or another of the bigger animals of the little mouse along the way, but it professes bravery each time. This hunt is quite the enterprise, involving mountain climbing, walking through grass, tree climbing, rowing, and trumping through a pumpkin patch--where the group encounters...never mind. Beating a hasty retreat, the pals race past all their previous hurdles until they reach home--without stopping to hear something really important a now-laughing mouse wants to tell them. After all their travails, the friends decide the best pumpkin in town is "the yummiest"--in the pie they bake together. This comical, rollicking story is delicious, too, filled with sweetness and autumnal good cheer, buoyed by the pals' camaraderie. The charming, delicate line illustrations exude good spirits, and they feature lots of activity, nighttime ambiance, and white space. Readers will want to join these good-natured, adorable animals--pig, mole, duck, mouse, rabbit, and squirrel--on their pumpkin-hunting exploits. Even without pumpkin pie, readers will hunt down this delightful Halloween offering. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 17, 2020
Fans of the familiar participatory rhyme “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” will want to jump right into the fun of this comforting Halloween version. A passel of animal pals, several sporting simple trick-or-treating costumes, set off on a pumpkin hunt: “Going to find a pumpkin,/ orange and round.” The sensory trek involves a squeaky gate and some ticklish grass, and then one of the pigs notes, “I see a pumpkin—/and it sees me!” The spooky sight of a pumpkin-headed scarecrow sends the crew scurrying back to the safety of home, where they put a yummy plan B into play. Munsinger crafts pen, ink, and watercolor compositions with a backdrop of soft blues and purples on a moonlit night, and her animal characters’ expressive faces fully capture the excitement of Wilcox’s spirited Halloween expedition. Ages 2–5.

July 1, 2020
"We're going on a pumpkin hunt / Going to find a big one...I'm not scared. / Are you? / Not me." A group of farm animals in Halloween costumes sets off in search of a pumpkin. The pastel-toned palette of the ink-and-watercolor illustrations indicates that this "shiver-in-your-socks night" isn't meant to be too scary; even the night sky is just a deep lavender -- and the grinning pumpkin the animals ultimately find is the height of the thrills and chills. A preschool-friendly intro to Halloween, with plenty of opportunities for sound effects. (For a slightly spookier take on the bear-hunt rhyme, see We're Going on a Goon Hunt, reviewed at left.)

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2020
"We're going on a pumpkin hunt / Going to find a big one...I'm not scared. / Are you? / Not me." A group of farm animals in Halloween costumes sets off in search of a pumpkin. The pastel-toned palette of the ink-and-watercolor illustrations indicates that this "shiver-in-your-socks night" isn't meant to be too scary; even the night sky is just a deep lavender -- and the grinning pumpkin the animals ultimately find is the height of the thrills and chills. A preschool-friendly intro to Halloween, with plenty of opportunities for sound effects. (For a slightly spookier take on the bear-hunt rhyme, see We're Going on a Goon Hunt, reviewed at left.) Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)