Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins
By Dianne Ochiltree
Illustrated by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin

     Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins is a rare book. It has pumpkins and counting without having any hint of Halloween. I know parents sometimes look for harvest stories that suggest pumpkins can be for something besides Jack-o-lanterns, so they will be delighted with this story. It also presents number concepts in an unusual way. Instead of a traditional counting book, it looks at doubling numbers. I think this one will be a big hit with homeschoolers looking for a fun book for their younger kids.

     The illustrations by Anne-Sophie Lanquetin are bright and energetic, with Sam, a little raccoon girl, harvesting pumpkins for her Gramps, and a wee mouse whose house ends up coming along for the ride. The rhyming text by Dianne Ochiltree is filled with action as Sam gathers the pumpkins, loses the pumpkins, chases the pumpkins, and finds out a wonderful thing you can do with a “cracked pumpkin or two.” It should be a cheery addition to any autumn book collection.