Review - A Family to Be Thankful For

A Family to Be Thankful For (Spookley the Square Pumpkin)
by Joe Troiano
illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young
Date: 2012
Publisher: Holiday Hill Farm
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 23
Format: e-book
Source: library

“I don’t have a family,” Spookley said with a moan.

“I’m the only square pumpkin that has ever grown.”

Spookley the Square Pumpkin wishes he had a family and a place he belonged. He feels sad and alone, until he discovers that no one family tree grows quite the same as another.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

What a weird book. I have so many questions... mostly about what isn't included in this story.

Apparently, we're introduced to Spookley in another book. He's square, for some reason (he apparently grew that way, but from what I understand about growing square foods, some sort of mold is involved). Anyway, he thinks that he has nothing to celebrate at Thanksgiving because he doesn't have a family. (I don't know why he's not part of the pumpkin family; maybe that's explained in another book.) He wanders (yeah... the pumpkin wanders) through the fields of food crops, and each asks him to join them. But he keeps wandering until he leaves the field, and is then "lost". So he freaks out, and the rest of the foods relay the message back to the scarecrow, who comes and rescues him from... the edge of the field. Then he realizes he has lots of friends, and therefore something to be thankful for.

I still can't get past the square pumpkin (what's the deal?), but as I was reading this book about pumpkins and potatoes and corn and peas in the lead-up to Thanksgiving, I couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy. Why are all of these foods looking forward to a celebration where they're going to be eaten?! Actually, that part was kind of a disappointment. Because they don't. Get eaten, that is. The story just sort of ends, with no mention of the fact that all of those crops are Thanksgiving foods. Even Spookley himself is at risk of being made into a pumpkin pie. It could've been a funny take on the story... but, unfortunately, the author chose not to go there. Instead, all we have is a whiny, inexplicably square pumpkin who's prone to panic attacks and pity parties.

The overall message is decent (i.e., your friends can function as your family, too) and the pictures are fairly cute. But now I can't stop thinking about what might've happened after the last page. Was there some sort of massacre? Did Spookley have his brains scooped out? Are all the characters currently being digested in people's stomachs?

I think I need to stop reading so much into some of these stories...

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 2/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.43 out of 5