Authors of Enormous Produce

09 October 2015 / 3 comments
Do you have some favorite autumn stories?  There are so many great fiction and nonfiction stories out there revolving around pumpkins, apples, spooky and not-so-spooky stories, and long ago versus today analysis.

I have a favorite.  A book that I go back to every...single...year.  It revolves around an enormous fruit and connects to so many other great versions.  This leads me to the....


You may have guessed it already.  My favorite story is "Big Pumpkin" by Erica Silverman.  It has that not-so-spooky feel but the characters are all "Halloween-ish."  There is a mummy, witch, vampire, ghost, and a bat that end up working together to pull out one very, very, VERY, big pumpkin.  There is a mixture of repeated text, teamwork, and friendship.

She is quite a pensive reader :)
There are a couple of reasons that I love this story:

#1: Connections:

There are SO many versions of this story.  That means there are lots of opportunities for students to make connections, compare, and contrast stories.  My girls and I have been checking out all the different versions that we can find at our local library.  We love discussing the different produce that is used, all the characters that decide to help out, and the overall outcome of the teamwork.  Here are a few that we have found:


#2: Repeated Text:

Our young readers love read-alouds.  Many times their little eyes are glued to the teacher and book.  Their little mouths are quite and they are eager to find out what happens.  But I love those moments when they can "read" aloud with us.  Many of these "Enormous Produce" texts allow for this interaction.  The "Big Pumpkin," for example, repeats the following sentences:
"...he pulled and he tugged and he pulled.  First he pulled hard and then he pulled harder.  
But that pumpkin just sat...."

#3: Teamwork:

Any chance I get to remind our students that we work together as a team, I take it!!  Teamwork and helping others is so important to all aspects of our lives.  These "enormous produce" books allow us to open up conversation about the impact of teamwork no matter the size of the individual.  

There are some really cute displays that show students pulling together at produce.  You can check out some of them here:




When I looked for some companion materials to go along with this book, there is a lot out there!  My wonderful friend Jennifer from Stories and Songs in Second shared a packet that hits rhyming and a fun Halloween chant.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Read-Rhyme-Write-A-Halloween-Book-Companion-Pack-1505062


I am always looking for new versions of this story.  Please let me know if you have a favorite!

3 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for the resource "shout out" my friend! I love your Pinterest board of enormous produce books! Can't wait to add a few to my library!
    Gratefully,
    ~Jennifer

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    1. I am glad that I have a fellow lover of "enormous produce" books!
      Em

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