This is a good book to read on Halloween because it isn't your traditional Halloween book. We learn the different ways to count pumpkin seeds and which pumpkins has the most seeds. This would be a good book to read and have an activity to follow, such as counting pumpkin seeds! ( )

This adorable book is a great read during the Fall season when pumpkins are at their best. I would highly recommend any class that is learning about grouping to read it. The main character, Charlie, doesn’t like lining up to go into school because the students line up from tallest to shortest, and he is always in the back. During his math class the students guess how many seeds are in each pumpkin, decide how they are going to count them (by 2’s, 5’s or by 10’s) and then count away. Charlie ends up with the smallest pumpkin and is a bit discouraged when he is pushed to count the seeds by 10’s. However, with some effort he and the class realize that the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! The story ends with the class realizing that small things have a lot to them, just like Charlie. ( )

Mr. Tiffin's class conducts an experiment that involves guessing which of three pumpkin will have the most seeds: big, medium, or small? After the seeds are extracted, the students are left with three empty pumpkins, three full bowls, and twenty messy hands! The children counting the seeds of the biggest pumpkin group their seeds in pairs. The seed counters of the medium sized pumpkin separate their seeds into groups of five. Charlie, the protagonist who happens to be the smallest kid in his class, is put in charge of counting the seeds of the smallest pumpkin; he puts the seeds in groups of ten. Charlie is teased by a peer for having the pumpkin with the least amount of seeds, but the students realize they are mistaken after counting the most seeds in the smallest pumpkin. The story ends with Mr. Tiffin expressing the heart of the story: "Small things can have a lot going on inside of them." Although this story doesn't have the most riveting plot, it is a good book to read when teaching estimation, counting, and grouping, especially in the fall season. ( )

This book helps children learn counting and multiplication skills, and it also teaches the valuable lesson that we can never judge a book by a cover. We can never tell how many seeds are in a pumpkin until we look inside of it, and we should never judge others by their outside appearances, but by their inside traits and characters- by their personalities, talents, and gifts. The book also has a neat little pumpkin facts section at the end, so it also holds value in a classroom for science lessons. Truly a great little book!

The illustrations are rendered in gouache, acrylic, and pencil on paper.

Charlie is the smallest kid in class. One day his teacher brings in three pumpkins in three different sizes and asks, "How many seeds in a pumpkin?" Everyone guesses that the largest has the most. Maybe, but not so fast. The class sets out to count the seeds in groups of twos, fives, and tens. When everyone is finished, the class is surprised by the results. It just goes to prove that sometimes good things come in small packages.

The Bottom Line: This book is enthusiastically recommended for story time reading for kids in grades K – 2. The children work together in teams and learn about counting and perception. The engaging illustrations rendered in gouache, acrylic, and pencil help drive the concepts home. Finally, the book includes some cool facts about pumpkins too.

This review also appears at the Mini Book Bytes Book Review Blog ( )