Pooh’s Pumpkin is a Winnie the Pooh First Reader book that I received through a refund offer with two cereal boxes.


Pooh’s Pumpkin consists of thirty-four pages with the characters of Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, Piglet, Owl, Rabbit and Eeyore. Some of the other books in the Winnie the Pooh First Readers series are Pooh’s Best Friend, Pooh Gets Stuck (we have that one too), Rabbit Gets Lost and Pooh’s Honey Tree.

Pooh’s Pumpkin begins with Rabbit, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh planting seeds in rabbits garden one spring day. Pooh is interested in learning what Rabbit is planting indicating he would like to grow a pumpkin too. Once Pooh promised Rabbit that he would indeed take care of his growing pumpkin Rabbit gave him a seed. With the help of Christopher Robin, Pooh planted his seed in a sunny spot near his house.

Next Pooh decided to sit and watch his seed grow until Christopher Robin informed him this would take time and not happen until the fall. Pooh then decided he needed something to eat and grabbed a honey pot from his kitchen cupboard and sat at the spot watching the seed. Pooh continued to sit and watch and eat while spring turned into summer.

Half way through the summer months Piglet stopped by to ask Pooh about the vine he was growing. Pooh informs Piglet that he wants a pumpkin and not a vine. Pooh continued caring for the vine when one day Owl showed up insisting to Pooh that his flower looked just right. Pooh told Owl he was waiting for a pumpkin and not a flower. Owl looks at the vine and tells Pooh that he is growing a vine and a flower that will make a cucumber. Well Pooh then wonders if a cucumber will taste good with honey. Pooh thinks for a minute and decides that Rabbit gave him a seed to grow a pumpkin and he will continue to watch until it becomes a pumpkin.

Pooh watched the plant while eating his honey, and occasionally watered the plant. Pooh noticed the weather was changing and the leaves started turning colors. Pooh started to fall asleep but woke up to find Eeyore looking at him asking about the green ball inside the flower.

This makes Pooh confused because he wanted to grow a pumpkin and not a flower or a green ball. Eeyore assures Pooh they can find something to do with it no matter what it is. As days and weeks passed the green ball grew bigger and bigger, until it turned orange. The color than became brighter as the leaves fell from the trees. On the vine was an orange pumpkin. Owl, Christopher Robin, Rabbit, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and Pooh gathered around the pumpkin until Tigger compared the pumpkin to Pooh’s tummy. Christopher Robin called his friend Pooh a silly old bear explaining that Pooh ate so much while watching the seed grow that his belly grew too.

Christopher Robin picked up the pumpkin so they could carve a jack-o’ lantern. Owl carved the eyes while Rabbit did the nose and Piglet the mouth. They all made Pooh’s pumpkin the best jack-o’ lantern in the Hundred-Acre Wood. The book also has a few blank pages at the end where you can have the young reader trace a pumpkin picture and do some sketches.

Since the age of six, Nicholas has enjoyed reading through Pooh’s Pumpkin during Halloween season. The book shows how they all share in the carving of the jack-o’ lantern and how patiently Pooh waits for his seed to grow along with the confusing process to the other animals. We get to see Pooh anxiously watch his seed grow and eat honey plus water his seed. No matter what the other animals say or think about his seed, vine, flower or green ball Pooh still waits for the outcome before getting discouraged. They all learn together how the seed grows into a pumpkin and share in their happiness with the end result.

Matthew has also enjoyed hearing me read Pooh's Pumpkin over the years. He likes the colors within the pages and the size of the book is perfect for a younger child.

This article was adapted from a review previously published on Epinions

This article is part of the themed series mentioned in The Interests of children with autism through the years

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Pooh's Pumpkin is available at Amazon.

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