Peter Peter Picks a Pumpkin House (Henry Holt, 2009)


Buy on Amazon / IndieBound

 

My next door neighbors used to grow giant pumpkins. Watching their yard fill with a sea of huge leaves got me thinking about Peter Peter and what might have been happening in that silly poem.

In this story, Peter Peter’s wife, Wanda, is sad and soggy because their roof leaks—a lot. Her father is upset, too, but a surprising giant pumpkin helps everything come around right. With the great work of Reka Simonsen at Henry Holt and Susan Boase on the illustrations, I think the book came out wonderfully, too. 

Giant pumpkins are pretty amazing. You can learn a lot more about real giant pumpkins by going to www.pumpkinnook.com

 

Song

I love to sing. Here is the tune I imagine Peter Peter singing as he tends his pumpkins:
(It’s a round, so appropriate for pumpkins. Start the second part where you see the little 2.) 

 

Game 

Peter Peter is one of those stories that contain pieces of at least two familiar stories, in this case Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, and Jack in the Beanstalk. It’s funny what happens when two stories collide. It can make something new.  

Try it yourself. Take two random nursery rhymes, fairy tales, or familiar stories from the list and blend them to make a new tale..