Stumpkin

Given that Hallowe’en has and will always have a special place in my heart, I try to produce some good Hallowe’en books for the Changeling every year, and  I also try to let you all know about them in case you’re as avid a Hallowe’en fan as I am! In the past we’ve seen my all-time favourite (How to Make Friends with a Ghost), some books for younger kids (Scary, Scary Halloween, Ten Timid Ghosts, and Ghosts in the House!), and two good picture books (Room on the Broom and I Am a Witch’s Cat).

This year I was at a loss, but absolutely determined to turn up something good for the Changeling. Everything I saw was too cute or too scary, too young or too old, etc. Then I saw Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins (also illustrator of This Is Not a Valentine, so I guess I really like her!), and it’s cute without being sweet, not at all scary but still Hallowe’eny, young without being silly, and, I think, a very worthy addition to the world of Hallowe’en stories. (I bought my copy at the Brookline Booksmith, a lovely store. Surely you can find a copy at your local book shop, too! If not, the link I provided is to the Brookline Booksmith– and they ship. No excuses!)

Warning: I haven’t actually read this with the Changeling yet, so I don’t have her perspective, but I think I know her well enough by now to be pretty certain of her taste. (It’s her morning surprise for Hallowe’en. YES I KNOW I’M A SOFTIE I DON’T CARE!)

The first thing to know is that this isn’t a story about ghosts or witches or hauntings; there’s no graveyard or ghoul, and costumes do not play a major role. Rather, it’s a story about fitting in, being loved, and finding your home and your family.

So what does that have to do with Hallowe’en?

Well, Stumpkin the pumpkin is practically perfect– except that he lacks a stem. He watches sadly as, day after day, every other pumpkin is taken to a new home to light up houses on Hallowe’en. Every other pumpkin– except him. I won’t spoil the exciting finish for you, but I will say that poor Stumpkin’s plight speaks to every kid who’s been the last one chosen in gym class, who stood miserably on the sidelines of dances, or who got used to carrying a book or some knitting along with them because they just knew they’d be left out.

And yet Stumpkin reassures us in the end that each of us has a place and a home (I’ll stop there– no spoilers!).

(Also, what better time of year is there to discover where you belong than the day when identities are turned upside-down and you can be whoever you wish to be?)

Aesthetically, this book is just perfect for the text (illustrations rendered in gouache, pencil, ink, and brush marker). The feel is young without being juvenile, and the palette (mostly black and white with pops of orange and green) has a gloriously vintage feel without being too sophisticated for the language of the book.

The message is important, the look and feel are beautiful, but I’m going to tell you what I love best about this book, what I’m really looking forward to with the Changeling. You see, we haven’t talked about this very much, you and I, but the Changeling has become a pretty good reader in her own right. She’s been reading the Catwings series by Ursula Le Guin and Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary.

So why didn’t I get her something a bit older for Hallowe’en?

Well, a) I didn’t see anything at her reading level which spoke to me (that’s probably on me; I’m sure the books are out there and I just didn’t find anything in time); b) I have long felt that even when kids start reading chapter books on their own, we should keep them reading picture books simultaneously; c) following from that last point, I felt that Stumpkin hit all the right notes for my Changeling, and I want her to read it.

So, then, what is it I particularly love about Stumpkin? Well, my girl, just starting Kindergarten and beginning to encounter certain social issues (what it means to be teased or left out, etc.), will read a story about finding your home, not being alone in the world, and being accepted for who you are. She’ll read this in a book that’s not too sophisticated to be understood, and in a medium which isn’t in the least didactic. That, I think, is worth its weight in Hallowe’en treats.

Also? Bringing us back to the part where I say I know my Changeling’s taste in books?

Stumpkin has a cat in it.

Yeah, she’ll love it. I hope you do, too!

And do you know any other great Hallowe’en books? Tell us in the comments!