cover image The Perfect Pumpkin Pie

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Denys Cazet, . . Atheneum/Jackson, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-689-86467-4

Mrs. Wilkerson prepares the perfect pie for her husband, reminding him "After we pass on,... there will be no more pie ." With that, he shouts, "Then I ain't goin'! " and promptly expires. The widow buries him in the yard and moves on; in move Jack and his grandmother, who bakes a pumpkin pie. Swirling pen-and-inks, watercolor wash and a splattering of black paint show the ghost rising to sample the results, "Pumpkins, pumpkins,/ pumpkin pie!/ I must have one/ before I die." He rejects the first, but three's the charm, and the fellow goes back underground—until an apple pie scent wafts his way. Playful type and a mix of full-spread compositions and silhouette sequences keep a brisk pace. Youngsters will happily join in the ghost's refrain. Ages 3-6. (Oct.)