Let the Pumpkin Grow

This is a cute book about growing giant pumpkins. After the vividly illustrated story, the author actually provides information about giant pumpkins and pumpkin festivals and even gives pumpkin facts. The thrust of the story is that a young boy grows a giant pumpkin from a seed. There are many potential stop points along the way where he could enjoy the seeds or the fruit, but he just allows it to grow until it becomes a giant pumpkin. He and his grandfather take it to a fair where he hopes it will win a prize. They have plans even if it doesn’t win: scoop it out, carve it, and use it in a pumpkin regatta that is a part of the celebrations. It's a fun book to learn about how plants grow and can be useful at different points of the growing process. I found it whimsical to let it grow so big and become much more than pumpkins typically are. If you have a child who enjoys growing fruits and vegetables or likes pumpkins, she or he might appreciate this book that's all about growing a plant from seed to harvest… and more.

A great story about a young boy with a pumpkin seed who plants 🪴 it and let’s it grow. At each stage the question is whether to use it, or eat it or let it grow. With patience and perseverance he has a huge pumpkin.

First and foremost let me say that I have a real soft spot for pumpkins, as they are the unofficial symbol of fall and Halloween in my mind, both of which I LOVE! Considering that, of course I liked this book. I like how each stage of the pumpkin's life cycle was noted. Sure, we could have stopped at each stage, but with a bit of patience, there's an amazing end result. I really like how the end of the book took quite an unexpected turn for me because I've never heard of a Great/Giant Pumpkin Regatta before, but now that I have, it is for sure on my list of things to see!!

Such a charming little book! I read this with my five year old and he loved being able to read parts of it (particularly the repeated "Oh no! I'll let it grow") and taking turns reading. The art style was great and we were both very curious about what the boy would end up doing with the pumpkin. The ending is something I never would have guessed and have never heard of in my life. I'm definitely putting it on my bucket list to go see that someday!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Capstone, for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review!

Really rich illustrations. The only criticism I have is the oh no part. Sometimes you just need to say YES. Other than that I love the story line and the plentiful pumpkin facts at the end of the book. Growing pumpkins or going to the pumpkin farm are such time honored traditions for kids of all ages. It's not hard to like this book! A great find.
Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for the free E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a cute book that teaches the value of patience. At each step of the growing process the narrator asks the boy if he is going to harvest the pumpkin or use it for something, but he keeps revealing something more that can be done. This was a lot of fun to read and would be a great fall/Halloween book for kids. I've heard of pumpkin contests but not the pumpkin regatta so that was interesting as well.

In this era of "fast" and "instant", rarely we have time and patience for something. We want to develop something quickly, then consume it rapidly. So planting a seed, with its mystery and slow to reveal its result is a challenge for people nowadays.

Yet what is planted carefully and nurtured lovingly usually gave the best result. Here is what the author might want to share with the younger generation.

And to be honest, this is the first time I heard of pumpkin race.

This is a fun book asking a little boy about a seed that he has, and what he plans to do with it. He plants it and the narrator keeps asking if now he's going to harvest what's come and every time he plans to wait longer for something more. The end is a surprise (nope, the pumpkin is not used for pie!). The illustrations and fun and kids will learn about how pumpkins are grown, as well as basics about plant growth and cycles. This would be a great book to get kids excited about gardening and to teach little ones who are removed from gardens and farms where pumpkins and other fruits and veggies come from.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

I enjoyed this story about a boy growing a pumpkin. The format of question and answer throughout keeps the reader entertained. The facts section at the back also enhances the read.

Cute children's book on a little boy growing a pumpkin to take to the fair, decorate and the regatta. My kids enjoyed it and I learned something new too. I wasn't aware of the pumpkin regatta in Oregon, so it was interesting to learn more about it at the end of the book.

Sometimes you find a book that is a gem! And this is definitely one of them!
I did not know about the pumpkin contest in Ontario Canada and so I appreciated the author's note in the end about it.
This book read like verse and I love love love when a children book effortlessly manages to do that. Stunning illustrations as well!

Thank you Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

As I was reading this book, my primary thought was that it would be a great text for preschool classrooms studying pumpkins, fall, or plants.

Have you ever planted a pumpkin seed? And let it grow? What did you do with your pumpkin? Read this delightfully surprising book by Mary Ann Fraser to discover what the young boy in the story does with his pumpkin! I think most listeners will be happily amazed!
I liked that the story employed the repetitive phrase, "Oh no!". And also appreciated the pumpkin growing history and facts included at the end of the story. This would be a great addition to a story time or class unit about gardening or pumpkins. It is appropriate for a wide range of ages -- anyone that is interested in planting a pumpkin seed and watching it grow!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a preview of this book. I really enjoyed it!
#LetItGrow #NetGalley

What a charming, lovely book about growing plants from seeds! As an outdoor educator I am always looking for books about planting, growing, harvesting, or any other aspect of maintaining home and community gardens. This will be a wonderful addition to our eco-educational library. I did not read any synopsis ahead of time, and therefore was surprised and entertained by the unusual twist at the end. I won’t give too much away, but I will say there is a use for pumpkins I had never heard of! This small piece of Ontario heritage will make a wonderful combination of storytime and lesson. I am always glad to add books to our learning library that reflect a diversity of students.

This was a cute picture book about growing large pumpkins which are used in boat races - I had no idea until the end of the book that it was leading up to that or that this tradition exists in Ontario! The idea of the pumpkin boat races is really interesting, and I appreciated some of the additional information about it and the photos at the very end to give some real world context,

I loved the story of how the kid growing the pumpkin was just going to keep letting the plant grow, even though it could have been used for so many other purposes along the way, so it could be used for the boat race.

This picture book was an adorable look into the life of a pumpkin seed. It is planted, grown into a flower, then a small fruit, and then a large fruit. However, instead of being scooped out for a jack-o-lantern or made into pie, the pumpkin is taken to a fair and then made into a boat. This was a really interesting and informative look into the history of giant pumpkins, which I had no idea had a whole culture around them, so children will find it even more interesting. The themes of caring and nurturing also translated well and the art style is perfect for it.

Based on a real tradition of growing and racing giant pumpkins in Ontario, this book will teach kids about the life cycle of a pumpkin and a fun tradition as well.

Why was this so precious? There are a few illustrated books that just completely hit me out of the blue and I flipped through this with my younger cousin (she's 4) and she really enjoyed this! She kept leafing through the different illustrations and wanted to go pumpkin picking (yes, I nearly burst into tears as well). Absolutely recommend this cute story!

Initially, I thought that this book would just be about gardening or the science behind plant growth. However, this book has a lot more to offer. Young readers will benefit from its beautiful illustrations, educational content, life lessons, and encouragement. I would suggest this for a classroom or even an after-school program that's focusing on gardening skills.

Review: An educational story for children about the timeline of a pumpkin from a seed to a flower to a pumpkin (and beyond!). The storyline is written in an inquisitive manner with stylish graphics, but giving factual information along the way. Additional information is included after the story, along with some real-life photos and pumpkin factoids that are sure to make learning fun!

Note: I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is my own.