Children carve or paint laughing and scary faces on pumpkins to display for Halloween.  They even put candles in the carved ones. (“Be careful of the flame and dripping wax,” Mother always warned.)  Making jack-o-lanterns was a high point of my childhood and for my daughter and grandchildren.

The “Big Pumpkin”

I recall the “Big Pumpkin” of my youth, which my sister used as a Halloween costume.  We cut a hole in the bottom, instead of the top, scooped out the seeds, and carved a face.  Then Sister draped herself in a sheet as a ghost.  We placed the pumpkin over her head.

I used a variation of this idea for my story, “Mama’s Prize Pumpkin,” in my children’s anthology, Tales of Adventure & Discovery.  I drew a picture to accompany the story, which also appears ina coloring book and on posters.

Pumpkin Books to explore:

The Pumpkin Patch Parable

Five Little Pumpkins

Big Pumpkin

Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Jack-o-Lantern Time of Year