cover image We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt

We’re Going on a Pumpkin Hunt

Mary Hogan Wilcox, illus. by Lynn Munsinger. Charlesbridge, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-1-62354-118-7

Fans of the familiar participatory rhyme “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” will want to jump right into the fun of this comforting Halloween version. A passel of animal pals, several sporting simple trick-or-treating costumes, set off on a pumpkin hunt: “Going to find a pumpkin,/ orange and round.” The sensory trek involves a squeaky gate and some ticklish grass, and then one of the pigs notes, “I see a pumpkin—/and it sees me!” The spooky sight of a pumpkin-headed scarecrow sends the crew scurrying back to the safety of home, where they put a yummy plan B into play. Munsinger crafts pen, ink, and watercolor compositions with a backdrop of soft blues and purples on a moonlit night, and her animal characters’ expressive faces fully capture the excitement of Wilcox’s spirited Halloween expedition. Ages 2–5. [em](Aug.) [/em]