From School Library Journal:
Kindergarten-Grade 5 ``By fall, everything in the garden had changed,'' begins this tale of harvest moon magic. Homer's plans for the pumpkin he cuts from the frost bitten vine do not match his mother's. Instead of carving a jack-o'-lantern as she wishes, he designs a face to match what he imagines the moon's face would look like. That night he waits for moon rise, dons the pumpkin like a helmet, and sees the trees and plants begin to walk and talk. An evening of celebration begins, under the watchful moon, and Homer is both elated and scared. Finally, at dawn he breathes a sign of relief and walks home to familiar surroundings. Warm autumn colors with touches of black set the daylight mood of the story. Blue and silver objectify the magic of nighttime. Freed from the earth, plants and trees dance on the pages like Oriental calligraphy. This tale has a ``skinny book'' rather than a picture book format. The tensions between mother and son, comfortable and scary, magic and madness are deftly and subtly drawn. The psychological and seasonal meaning of All Hallows is often blunted or blatant in works for young readers, but not often presented as resonantly as in this fine, unusual book. Anna Biagioni Hart, Sherwood Regional Library, Alexandria, Va.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Publishers Weekly:
Homer, the boy of Updike's A Winter Journey , returns with his dog Sophocles. He's a wistful boy, who plans to turn a rather large pumpkin in the garden into a jack-o'-lantern mask for himself. But when he has carved a face that looks to him like the moon, and puts the head on, he perceives the world differently in the evening light. The trees have pulled up their roots and have gathered near the pond, a ritual they perform once a month. Because they believe that Homer is a pumpkin, they accept him easily. But he can't pull off the head to prove that he is a boy, an effect which lasts only until dawn, when order is restored. Updike's language is poetic and Parker's evocative watercolors feed the mysterious aspects of the tale. The book will have most appeal for highly imaginative children; all those who have been touched by the eeriness of an autumn evening will find both words and paintings enchanting. Ages 7-up.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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