Review by Booklist Review
Meet Little Boo, a petite pumpkin seed who is dying to scare others with a ferocious boo! only, he is too tiny to be fearsome. The wise, omnipresent wind assures him that he must wait, and he hints that being scary will come with time. Over the course of the winter, spring, and summer, the little seed tries unsuccessfully to scare passers-by, such as a grub, some snowflakes, and a watering can, all of whom are underwhelmed by the seed's attempts at spookiness. But when the seed turns into a sprout, and the sprout turns into a flower, and the flower turns into a tiny green pumpkin, the seed knows he is on his way to becoming a big and scary jack-o'-lantern. Zeltner's acrylic paintings in lush colors complement Wunderli's inspiring story of patience, while simultaneously showing many parts of a plant's life cycle. Little kids who are impatient about not being big enough yet to participate in certain activities will sympathize with Little Boo's frustration, and cheer at his ultimate scary (but friendly!) triumph.--Miller, Annie Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Throughout the year, a cherubic pumpkin seed with gentle eyes and rosy cheeks is eager to grow up and "be scary." In winter, he tries to frighten a group of spritelike snowflakes with a "Boo!" only to have them respond, "There's more of us than you.... Why would we be scared of you?" The wind encourages the seed to be patient, and after snoozing in the winter soil, waking to the sun, and growing into a rather unfrightening flower, the seed eventually becomes a pumpkin and is picked from the garden to become a scary jack-o'-lantern. Wunderli's tender story offers a lyrical take on the holiday, entwined with an impatience to grow up that many young readers will easily identify with. Painted on plywood, Zeltner's acrylics mix anthropomorphic cuteness with a seasonal moodiness that's well suited to the story's coming-of-age theme and year-round arc. Ages 3-7. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-A little seed tries to scare everyone he meets but is unsuccessful because of his size. A leaf, a grub, and snowflakes all rebuff his "boos." The wind encourages him to wait, and the seed falls asleep for the winter. When he awakes in the spring, he's a sprout and he tries out another "boo," but to no avail. He keeps growing, however, until he becomes a pumpkin. Eventually he turns into a jack-o'-lantern and is easily able to scare everyone. This board book version of the title originally released in 2014 has a muted palette and soft, painterly illustrations with pleasing repetition, and a plot that will resonate with young readers and those looking for a slightly spooky tale. VERDICT This selection will be enjoyed by those looking for a Halloween story.-Ramarie Beaver, Plano Public Library System, TX © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
A friendly-looking little pumpkin seed tries very hard to be scary. "You'll be scary soon enough," the wind assures it, but the seed finds that waiting is hard. Whimsical acrylic-on-plywood illustrations capture the seed's growth into a pumpkin--then a jack-o'-lantern--when it finally realizes its dream on Halloween. An enjoyable holiday read-aloud with a gentle message about patience. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
From the moment of planting, a little seed wishes for the ability to be truly frightening. It is fall, and a small pumpkin seed smiles from the garden. As the season passes, it attempts to scare whatever comes near it with a "Boo." Try though the seed might, neither leaf, grub nor snowflake is impressed. But the wind is reassuring: "It's not time for scaring.Not yet. Be patient. You'll be scary soon enough." With those wise words, the wind then blows "soil over the seed to keep him from the cold." Spring arrives, and the seed awakens. Reaching for the sun, he is now a little sprout with attitude. Curly tendrils make him look a little fierce, but an old boot, shovel and watering can pay him no mind. The growth continues as he adds more leaves, blooms with orange flowers and produces small green fruit. Only when he has matured into a large pumpkin and transformed into a jack-o'-lantern does his "BOO!" get him his wished-for results. Wunderli's new take on the life cycle of a seed works well as a metaphor for a young child's desire to grow. Zeltner's lush illustrations created with paint, glazes and stains on wood shine with gentle charm and lend appealing texture to the various natural scenes. Remember to share this at harvest and Halloween time for a fresh and wonderfully tame autumn tale. (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
