Pumpkin Dad

PreS-Gr 2–A sweet and funny story about seasonal high jinks between an adult and a child who believes her father has become a pumpkin. Ellis, dressed as a witch, is practicing magic when Dad decides to pretend that Ellis’s antics have turned him into a pumpkin. Worried for his well-being, Ellis takes “Pumpkin Dad” on a bike to get help—only for him to roll off and into a local pumpkin festival. A fretful Ellis searches for him while Dad, who has bent over backward to show he was joking, ends up falling headfirst into a pile of pumpkins. In a final act of desperation, Ellis attempts to reverse the curse. Illustrations are vibrantly coordinated with the season and engagingly bright for young readers. Details such as the pumpkin faces, the family dog, and the spell book at the front and back add to the charm of the book. Ellis and Dad both have tan skin and red hair.