Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie

Product Description Silly Mrs. Millie is at it again! In the fall, she takes her kindergartners on a class trip to pick pumpkins for their harvest party. The class has fun guessing the meanings of their favorite teacher's nonsense words. They go on a dragon (wagon) ride, pet the boats (goats), and drink apple spider (cider). Coupled with hilarious artwork in pen, pencil, and colored dyes by Joe Mathieu, the lighthearted text sets a class trip on its ear, even as it teaches a subtle lesson in wordplay. From School Library Journal Kindergarten-Grade 2—Mrs. Millie is back and sillier than ever. In this adventure she takes her class to the "pumpkin pets" (patch). They go on a dragon (wagon) ride; see a " harecrow" (scarecrow); pick "round, orange pumas"(pumpkins), drink "hot apple spider" (cider); and mulch (much) more. Cox's wordplay is sure to amuse and entertain. Mathieu's illustrations, done in Prismacolor pencil, dyes, and pen and ink, are better than ever and suffused with fall colors. They show jubilant faces and make the off-the-wall text laugh-out-loud funny as they depict Mrs. Millie's malapropisms. The billy boats and striped bee animals are especially comical. A good addition to autumn storytimes.— Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH END From Booklist In Mrs. Millie’s third picture-book outing, the irrepressible teacher takes her class on a trip to a pumpkin farm where she confuses hot apple cider with “hot apple spider” and turns jack-o’-lanterns into “gecko’-lanterns.” At every turn, the students correct her goofiness, while they, for instance, imagine rakes that are half snake and petting-zoo goats with bodies like boats. It’s all in good fun, but grown-ups might tend to tire of the gimmick—and the flat, if colorful, cartoonish drawings—quicker than kids. Perfectly suited to fall storytimes, this is sure to be popular, so buy accordingly. Preschool-Grade 2. --Karen Cruze About the Author Author Judy Cox teaches kindergarten in a small town in Oregon. Like Mrs. Millie, she likes to tease her kindergators. She has written a number of picture books, including Mrs. Millie Goes to Philly!, Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie!, and The Mystery of the Burmese Bandicoot. She lives in Ontario, Oregon. Illustrator Joe Mathieu is the illustrator of many popular picture books, including We're Going on a Lion Hunt, Mrs. Millie Goes to Philly!, and Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie!. He lives in Hudson, Massachusetts.