10 Spooky Pumpkins

by Gris Grimly (Author) Gris Grimly (Illustrator)

Reading Level: K − 1st Grade

Join celebrated creator Gris Grimly in this spooky countdown, as one little girl ventures out into the night for an unforgettable Halloween adventure! 10 little pumpkins, sitting in a line, looking for a cat and they found nine.  The wind said SWOOSH and the gate went CREAK. The owl cried WHOOOO, we all screamed EEK!

Celebrated creator Gris Grimly, widely known for his gothic style illustrations, puts a spooky twist on a favorite preschool rhyme in this Halloween read-aloud. Join goblins, ghosts, witches, and more in this rhythmic countdown, traveling through the countryside and discovering more Halloween creatures along the way. Finally, the story culminates with them all joining together in a joyful celebration under the full harvest moon, dancing until it's time for bed.

Paired with Gris Grimly's sweeping, stunning watercolor illustrations and a rhyming refrain reminiscent of classics like We're Going on a Bear Hunt, this is a read-aloud for the whole family to cherish.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

Grimly returns with stylized macabre fun in this Halloween-centric counting book, following a blue-eyed, peach-skinned child in a Pierrot-style clown costume. Blocky orange numbers reside in the upper left-hand corner on each page, as a rhythmic rhymes count down from 10. Six "hallowed ghosts wiggle and writhe...// Looking for a wolf and they found five," one spread reads, as ghastly spectral figures with yawning mouths float through a dusky sky from a ramshackle house. Crisply rendered watercolor and ink illustrations conjure a casually eerie energy as the child nonchalantly, smilingly encounters everything from patchwork-winged bats and mangy-looking moor wolves to coffee-sipping skeletons and a curmudgeonly moon. As a simultaneous counting guide, bedtime book, seasonal read, and source of uncanny year-round fun, this is an absolute treat bolstered by a gently surprising trick. Back matter includes an artist’s note. Ages 4-8. 

Copyright 2021 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Kirkus

Starred Review

Grimly’s tale and illustrations provide readers with a fully imagined world, a complete mood and atmosphere. It evokes all of the eerie, unsettling elements of Halloween with the safety of a child tucked into bed at the end. An engrossing read with stirring, memorable illustrations. (Picture book. 4-7).

Copyright 2021 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A July/August 2021 Kids' Indie Next selection

Gris Grimly
Gris Grimly is a celebrated painter, sculptor, and filmmaker who has created a rich collection of spooky picture books, including the Wicked Nursery Rhymes trilogy and his own retellings of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Frankenstein, and Old MacDonald Had a Farm. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and a young son, whose love of Old MacDonald inspired Gris to reimagine the childhood classic.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338112443
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Orchard Books
Publication date
September 21, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV009030 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Counting & Numbers
JUV017030 - Juvenile Fiction | Holidays & Celebrations | Halloween
JUV052000 - Juvenile Fiction | Monsters
Library of Congress categories
-

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