A Storybook Pumpkin Patch full of Book-O'-Lanterns

What child wouldn't love to help make a storybook themed Jack-O'-Lantern?  Low on the scary scale, high on the fun factor...

Have you every wondered how the tradition of Jack-O'-Lanterns started? Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. [source: history.com]

POOH BEAR

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OLIVER JEFFER'S PENGUIN

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SOME HUNGRY CATERPILLARS

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VARIOUS LITERARY SPIDERS

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Lots of schools host "no-carve-pumpkin" contests each year. I couldn't resist posting these cute book pumpkins that I found on the blog, "Sunny Days in Second Grade". Click here to see more!

FROG AND TOAD!

RAINBOW FISH

Source: Unless noted otherwise, all the bookish Halloween pumpkins featured in my post are from parents.com.  Click HERE for how to's.

FROM "I'M NOT"...

TO "I AM"!

When my sister-in-law told me about the book I'M NOT, I thought, "Uh-oh, I hope this isn't an Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day kind of book" (I know a lot of people like Judith Viorst's story, but it was a bit too negative to resonate with me and my children - Alexander's a grouch at the beginning and pretty much still a grouch at the end - we read it once and that was enough).  But on the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised with Pam Smallcomb's positive outcome to a negative sounding title, and it's a story I think young children will ask for again and again!

What I love about this book is the way the shy Narrator (a nameless little brown alligator who constantly compares herself to her talented friend, Evelyn, a little green alligator) begins to finally realize it's okay that she's different from her friend.  Even though there are a lot of things Evelyn is good at that she is not, there are things Evelyn isn't good at that she is!

This book doesn't celebrate being the "best" at everything, it's simply about being the best friend you can be. In the end, Evelyn says she needs a friend  - "A friend who is always by her side, through thick and thin, a true-blue friend."  She wonders, "Is there anyone in the whole wide world like that?" and our little narrator proclaims, "I AM! I AM! I AM!"

Pam Smallcomb's story made me think of two other sets of storybook characters that are good friends,  FROG AND TOAD

(who are also brown and green!)  and James Marshall's hippos, George and Martha,
 who bear a striking resemblance to Robert Weinstock's little alligators.

INTRODUCING..."FEATHERDUSTER"

I have a new acquisition: an Ostrich named "Featherduster". My oldest son gave her to me for Mother's Day. Not to worry: she's not a real ostrich, but rather the star of one of David's many film projects.  My son attends CalArts and is majoring in experimental stop-motion animation.  Featherduster is very sweet and I think she feels quite at home, perched atop our piano.

What does this have to do with children's books?  Well, David hopes to do some children's book film adaptations in his future career. As a child, he was intrigued by John Clark Matthews' excellent FROG AND TOAD and THE MOUSE AND THE MOTORCYCLE stop-motion films.  After watching the "Behind the Scenes" segment extras, David decided to try his hand at stop-motion.  Using our little old video camera, he created many humorous movies for us with his Star Wars figures, Legos, and clay.

At CalArts Showcase of Experimental Animation with David, our daughter, Mary,
 and one of David's recent stop motion puppet creations, a mad scientist.

You can view John Clark Matthews' stop-motion animated films (including those mentioned above) here on his website.  


Below I've embedded my son's film project, "Feather Duster", starring my new friend.


David Braun, Animal Locomotion Class, CalArts, Fall 2010 from animations by my students on Vimeo.