The Bumpy Pumpkin

At Stephens Farm, pumpkins of every shape and size eagerly await being chosen for Halloween. Each pumpkin is unique in size and shape, but they all have the same smooth, orange skin, except for the Bumpy Pumpkin, who is smaller and has patchwork skin of orange, yellow, and green. Worse, the pumpkin’s skin is covered in bumps—big ones, little ones, and even uneven ones. Would anyone want to pick the Bumpy Pumpkin? 

Anyone who has ever been made fun of will relate to the Bumpy Pumpkin, who is teased because he is different. When the other pumpkins say mean things to the Bumpy Pumpkin, he “did his best to stay hopeful, sitting up as tall as his little stem would allow.” When no one picks him, the Bumpy Pumpkin “drooped with sadness, feeling hollow inside—as if all his seeds had been scooped out.”  

But then, Olivia arrives at the pumpkin patch, and she’s looking for a really special pumpkin to be part of her Halloween decorations. She chooses Bumpy Pumpkin because he is “one of a kind.” He is the star of the night and learns that “he was perfect in his own way. He was loved just the way he was. . . bumps and all.” 

The Bumpy Pumpkin blends adorable pictures with vivid descriptions to illustrate that each pumpkin—or person—is uniquely beautiful. Children will empathize with the pumpkin and understand his emotions because of his facial expressions and the text. For example, when Olivia chooses him, the Bumpy Pumpkin “felt a warm, happy flutter inside.” Young readers will also enjoy the fun Halloween pages, where the pumpkin shines.  

While the story is perfect for Halloween, its message of self-acceptance can be applied year-round. The simple plot is easy to follow, and the text incorporates fun shapes and colors. The full-page illustrations use the colors of fall—brown, green, and orange—often with a blue background, which creates a cheerful mood. Each page has one to two long sentences. However, the book should be read aloud to a child, because the sentences are complex. Despite this, young children will also enjoy looking at the pictures on their own.  

The Bumpy Pumpkin is a non-scary Halloween book that children will enjoy reading again and again. The end of the book has a house decorated with cute bats, spiders, and ghosts. Just beware: when you read The Bumpy Pumpkin to a child, they’ll want to visit the pumpkin patch to pick their very own bumpy pumpkin. For more fall fun, add these books to your reading list: Marley and the Runaway Pumpkin, A Purr-fect Pumpkin, and How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? 

Sexual Content  

• None

Violence  

• None 

Drugs and Alcohol  

• None 

Language  

• None 

Supernatural 

• None 

Spiritual Content  

• None