Pattan's Pumpkin: An Indian Flood Story

PreS-Gr 2--This story is based on a traditional tale of the Irula people, who live in the hills of southern India. Pattan and his wife are farmers, responsible caretaker of their land and their various animals, including the insects. One day, Pattan finds a sickly plant and takes it home to care for it. This is a plant with "personality": "The plant liked its new home. Its yellow flowers smiled at the sun." One yellow flower produces a pumpkin that grows to tremendous proportions. When serious rains threaten the farm and the animals, Pattan and his family are able to hollow out the pumpkin and fit everyone inside, then float to the safety of the plains. Eventually they return home, raise many children, and continue to grow pumpkins. The story is nicely paced, and the excitement of the perilous journey comes to life. Pattan and his wife are likable characters. The gouache illustrations have a charming naive quality that should have considerable child appeal. VERDICT This title can be read independently or in a group setting and would be an asset to any folktale collection.--Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"Based on a traditional South Indian tale told by the Irula people, this rendition includes engaging text with emphasis and emotion conveyed through accented and stylized fonts and richly saturated gouache illustrations. While the vibrant full-bleed illustrations make the book a wonderful selection for a readaloud, it also lends itself to being shared in a small group of readers as the aesthetic details of the text may be better noticed and appreciated this way." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books