I have mixed feelings about Into the Pumpkin by Linda Franklin. Here’s the blurb:

The fun of Halloween comes alive in this beautifully illustrated children’s book. The drawings, done each year by the author on the eve of Halloween, follow various Halloween characters as they prepare to celebrate this mystical holiday — pumpkins, witches, bats, ravens, black cats, scarecrows, spiders, ghosts, and more. Should they have their party in the graveyard or the pumpkin patch? Should they dress up or simply go as themselves? Take a ride on the witch’s broom and enter the pumpkin for a magical trip both you and your kids will not soon forget.

And it is a gorgeous book. I read a digital version, but even then you could see how lovely the illustrations are. They’re full of fall colors, soft and muted, some are eerie, but not scary. It has a friendly spooky feeling, swirly and wispy.

And the story is told in rhyme, which is appealing to kids, and adults. And is a decent enough story, everyone’s getting ready for the halloween party. They’ll dance and fly, spin and sing.

And maybe some people will adore this book, maybe it’ll be one kids ask for over and over, but it didn’t grab me. It didn’t make me want to share it, didn’t make me say I need to get this for my niece. I don’t feel the need to show it to Amber, who even though she’s 12 can enjoy picture books for what they are. I believe, and hope I’ve passed on to her, that we can appreciate good books even if we’re not the target audience.

Into the Pumpkin just didn’t spark my imagination. I doubt I’ll remember my journey into the pumpkin.

2½ out of 5 stars

Category: Picture Book – Halloween

Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Published August 31, 2012 by Schiffer Publishing

56 pages

Book source: For review from NetGalley

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