No Shortage of Pumpkins on Big Universe

 

What feeds the rumor mill? Well, sadly, just about anything. Often rumors are linked to people’s common fears, making them sound plausible even though they may be an oversimplification of the truth or downright fabrications.

As of late, the rumor of a pumpkin shortage has been broadcast far and wide. It’s October, so this of course feeds into everyone’s imagination. No pumpkins! No jack-o-lanterns! No pumpkin pie! Halloween and Thanksgiving are cancelled! Oh the humanity!

While some farmers did experience vine crop loss this year because of catastrophic flooding and uncooperative weather, losses did not stretch from Canada to Mexico or the East Coast to California. Some “cucurbits” growers did fine, so local shortages are being remedied by our marvelous transportation system. Produce stands are getting their supplies from neighboring patches – perhaps even out-of-state farms – a common occurrence in our commerce system. A pumpkin may cost a wee bit more at the grocery, but I doubt many tykes will go without.

One thing’s for sure. BigUniverse.com didn’t suffer a pumpkin shortage. We have plenty to go around – thanks to the beauty of the 24×7 eBook! We carry the English language variety, “Pumpkins” by author Jacqueline Farmer and illustrator Phyllis Limbacher Tildes. There’s a Spanish version too, titled “Calabazas.” Both picture books from Charlesbridge Publishing are leveled for kindergarten through Grade 3 and include an online reading comprehension quiz.

Charlesbridge has also posted a picture book on Big Universe, titled “Piggies in the Pumpkin Patch.” It’s a poetic tale of porkers plotting a peculiar path during a romp through the barnyard. It has strong picture and text support, directional words, figurative language and provides the opportunity for vocabulary and mapping skills development, as well as exposure to life science, organisms and their environments.

Pumpkins have shown up in literature for a long time. Remember Cinderella’s coach? How about Peter, the pumpkin eater? And, of course, a pumpkin plays an important role in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Mother Goose Rhyme

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,

Had a wife but couldn’t keep her;

He put her in a pumpkin shell

And there he kept her very well.

Mr. Pumpkin

(Same tune as “Where is Thumpkin?”)

Mr. Pumpkin, Mr. Pumpkin,
Eyes so round. Eyes so round.
Halloween is coming. Halloween is coming.
To my town. To my town.

I’m an Orange Pumpkin

(Same tune as “I’m a Little Teapot”)

I’m a little pumpkin
Orange and round.
Here is my stem,
There is the ground.
When I get all cut up,
Don’t you shout!
Just open me up
And scoop me out!

Pumpkin Poem

One day I found two pumpkin seeds.
I planted one and pulled the weeds.
It sprouted roots and a big, long vine.
A pumpkin grew; I called it mine.
The pumpkin was quite round and fat.
(I really am quite proud of that.)
But there is something I’ll admit
That has me worried just a bit.
I ate the other seed, you see.
Now will it grow inside of me?

(I’m so relieved since I have found
That pumpkins only grow in the ground!)

Other Pumpkin Unit Enrichment Links

• Pumpkin Coloring Sheet
• Jack-O-Lantern Coloring Sheet (Online or Printable)
• Hard Pumpkin Word Search Puzzle
• Easy Pumpkin Word Search Puzzle
• 3D Paper Strip Pumpkin

**NOTE: While the great “pumpkin shortage of 2011” may be easy to remedy, real-life rumors, gossip and slander may not be so easy to handle. PBSKids.org has some online material that may be useful if this is an issue in your classroom. (Just click the link provided.) Words are powerful. Use them wisely.

One Comment

• Princesses and Pumpkins? | Big Universe Learning - Blog says:

  October 3, 2011 at 6:01 pm

  [...] in books until she finds a new favorite topic. After reading Suzan’s blog post about the abundance of pumpkins on Big Universe, I started thinking that perhaps that would be a good new favorite seasonal topic for my daughter. [...]