When October arrives, it’s time to pull out all the pumpkin picture books! Below are my favorite pumpkin picture books for the primary classroom!
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1. THE PUMPKIN BOOK by Gail Gibbons- Learn all about pumpkins with this fun and informational book. Gail Gibbons is a master at sharing fascinating facts on various topics with kid-friendly language and illustrations, and this is no exception! Dig into the different varieties of pumpkins, their life cycle, how to plant pumpkins, steps on carving a pumpkin and all things pumpkins with this must-read classic.
2. HOW MANY SEEDS IN A PUMPKIN? by Margaret McNamara and illustrated by G. Brian Karas- Integrate math and science into your pumpkin lesson plans with this book that encourages students to count and estimate. Ms. Tiffin’s class is doing a fun counting experiment to see how many seeds are in pumpkins of various sizes. Come along and join the fun as they learn which size pumpkin holds the most seeds after all!
3. FROM SEED TO PUMPKIN by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by James Graham Hale- This is another fun informational and science book for primary students. Follow along to see how pumpkins grow from seeds in the ground to become pumpkins on vines! The writing is simple and easy to follow and the illustrations are cheerful and delightful!
4. SIXTEEN RUNAWAY PUMPKINS by Dianne Ochiltree and illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin- Sami is bringing 16 pumpkins to his grandpa but when his wagon hits some rocks on the road, the pumpkins seem to all runaway! Count with Sami to see how he gets each pumpkin back on the wagon again.
5. THE LEGEND OF SPOOKLEY: THE SQUARE PUMPKIN by Joe Troiano and illustrated by Susan Banta- Every pumpkin on the patch is round, except Spookley. He is a square-shaped pumpkin and doesn’t fit in with the other pumpkins on the vines. They tease him for being different until he proves that his shape is just perfect and can even save the day! This rhyming book along with its illustrations is simply adorable and teaches an important message to children everywhere!
6. I LIKE PUMPKINS by Jerry Smith- Big pumpkins, small pumpkins, we love them all! Explore the different types of pumpkins including the yummy ones that turn into one of fall’s favorite treats!
7. THE BUMPY LITTLE PUMPKIN by Margery Cuyler and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand- Little Nell tended to the pumpkin garden with her mom all summer and is excited to finally pick a pumpkin for her jack-o-lantern. Her sisters choose smooth, round pumpkins, but Nell finds a bumpy pumpkin for her jack-o-lantern. Nell is sad when they say that her pumpkin is too ugly, but she doesn’t give in. She carves and scoops to show that her bumpy pumpkin makes the perfect jack-o-lantern after all!
8. THE BIGGEST PUMPKIN EVER by Steven Kroll and illustrated by Jeni Bassett- Desmond and Clayton, the mice, fell in love with the same pumpkin and claimed it to be their own. After tending and caring for it, they realized that they loved the same pumpkin and must work together to win the Biggest Pumpkin Contest.
9. PETE THE CAT: FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS by James Dean- We may be familiar with the classic Five Little Pumpkins nursery rhyme, but do we know Pete’s groovy version? Read his hilarious rhyming book to see how Pete gets down with the pumpkins and bring Halloween to life!
If you need fun pumpkin activities for your little learners, check out the resources below!
