Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell, is an engaging kid's book read aloud for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school ages (and adults still young at heart), for Halloween and the Fall/Autumn season.
Parents and teachers, join me here at The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for daily read alouds in the classroom, at bedtime, or anytime!
Follow The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for a classic children's library.
#kidsbooksreadaloud #readaloud #readaloudbooksforchildren
Parents and teachers, join me here at The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for daily read alouds in the classroom, at bedtime, or anytime!
Follow The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for a classic children's library.
#kidsbooksreadaloud #readaloud #readaloudbooksforchildren
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LearningTranscript
00:00Pumpkin Jack.
00:28Written and illustrated by Will Hubbell.
00:35When Tim carved his first pumpkin, it was fierce, and funny, and just perfect.
00:41A jack-o'-lantern this good deserved a name, so Tim gave him one, Jack.
00:51Long after the best trick-or-treat candy was eaten, Tim still kept Jack.
00:56That night when a candle made Jack's face dance on the wall and fill the dark with warm
01:01pumpkin smells, Tim felt Jack was almost magic, yet too soon the spell was broken.
01:10This pumpkin is beginning to rot, announced Mom.
01:16It's time to throw it out.
01:18Tim knew it was useless to argue.
01:21He carried Jack to the garden, which was filled with the brown ghosts of last summer's plants.
01:26A dead garden is better than a trash can, thought Tim.
01:30Still, it made him sad to leave Jack outside and alone.
01:38Whenever chores or play brought Tim to the garden, he looked at Jack.
01:43Every time, Jack was different.
01:46He became wrinkled, and his fierce smile began to look silly.
01:54Mold spread over Jack's bright orange skin.
01:58As the days turned colder, Jack grew flatter.
02:06Winter began.
02:07Soon Jack was hidden beneath snow, and Tim forgot about him.
02:12The cold, heavy jacket days came.
02:15Snowman and sliding days.
02:17Indoor days.
02:18Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's.
02:22When all these days had passed and the March winds melted the snow, Tim found Jack.
02:32There wasn't much left, just a faded and crumpled pumpkin skin, a stem, and a few seeds.
02:39Jack's Halloween magic was a distant memory now.
02:43Tim scraped a thin blanket of earth over the last bits of his pumpkin.
02:47Goodbye, Jack, he whispered.
02:53When spring turned barefoot warm, a tiny sprout appeared where Jack had been.
02:59Tim found it and guessed what it was.
03:05In the days that followed, Tim weeded and watered and watched the sprout.
03:11Slowly and steadily, the plant changed and grew.
03:14It branched and spread a web of vines over the ground, but no pumpkin appeared.
03:23The days turned hot.
03:25Flowers opened on the plant each morning, yellow stars that twisted shut forever in
03:30the afternoon.
03:31Still, there were no pumpkins.
03:38Finally, Tim found a little green ball growing behind a crumpled blossom.
03:43A pumpkin!
03:44Tim let out a whoop and ran to show his mom.
03:48By August, the plant had spilled onto the lawn.
03:51Tim's favorite game became pumpkin hunting.
03:55He carefully waded among the leaves, searching for green pumpkins like hidden treasure.
04:04School began again in the days cold.
04:07Tim had less time to visit the garden.
04:10When he did, the pumpkin plant seemed tired.
04:13There were few new leaves, and the old tattered ones no longer hid the fat green pumpkins.
04:19Then, one October morning, Tim woke to see frost coating the garden.
04:25The frozen plant seemed changed to pale blue glass.
04:32After school, Tim discovered what the frost had done.
04:36The pumpkin plant's leaves were as limp as wet paper.
04:40It was dying.
04:42Tim searched among the withered leaves for the unripe pumpkins.
04:46He picked them and put them on the front porch, hoping for one more change.
04:54By Halloween, the pumpkins had ripened to bright orange.
04:59There were many, for the plant had been generous.
05:02Tim was generous, too.
05:04He gave away all but one.
05:10From jack-o'-lantern, to seed, to pumpkin again, the circle was almost complete.
05:17Now it was time for Tim to do his part.
05:20He gave his pumpkin a face.
05:22It smiled at him in a fierce and funny way.
05:25Tim smiled, too, and said, Welcome back, Jack!