A young boy has a pumpkin seed. A very small pumpkin seed. A very small but special pumpkin seed. And, what will become of this very small but special seed? He'll only find out if he lets it grow...and grow...and grow! Because sometimes the smallest things can lead to the biggest adventures! In a world full of immediacy and instant gratification, author Mary Ann Fraser plants the seed of patience in her playful picture book about the life cycle of a giant pumpkin and the rewards of letting it grow.
"A narrator asks a young Black farmer about his plans for the seed in his hand. Eat it? "Oh no! I'll let it grow." At each stage of the pumpkin's growth, the child refuses to harvest the plant; finally, it's grown big enough to enter in a contest at the fair. Is that the end? Oh no! The giant pumpkin is hollowed out for use in a pumpkin regatta. The predictable growth narrative benefits from the uncommon ending (pies and jack-o'-lanterns are both rejected end-uses) and from the uncluttered, collage-style illustrations with strong, repeated textural elements. Back matter includes a history of giant pumpkins, a color photo of an Oregon pumpkin regatta, and "plentiful pumpkin facts."
