Halloween Jack-O'-Lanterns

Children's Literature

Spooky, creepy, and scary, the sights and sounds of Halloween are not for the faint of heart. Our modern day Halloween grew out of a number of traditions from cultures that were honoring the dead. Fortunately, Americans treat this holiday as an autumn celebration, keeping intact some of the light and fun aspects of the observance, such as the carving and lighting of pumpkins. The origin of the jack-o'-lantern is based in Irish folklore. A stingy, mean man named Jack double-crossed the devil and upon his death, Heaven wouldn't take him, but neither would the devil! He was forced to wander the earth's darkness carrying a lamp, or lantern, becoming known as "Jack-with-a-lantern." Learn more about the pumpkin, which is not the original famous Halloween vegetable. The first was a turnip. Guess how much the biggest pumpkin ever grown weighs. It is 1,092 pounds. Try and beat that, or grow an ordinary pumpkin, or create a marvelous jack-o'-lantern and let is greet (or scare) all the trick-or-treaters. Part of the "Holiday Symbols" series. 2000, The Child's World,
— Barbara Kennedy

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3-These titles present basic information on holiday symbols. Easter Bunnies explains how the rabbit came to be associated with this season and introduces various traditions related to it. Religion is mentioned, but it is not the book's focus. The author also notes the importance of taking responsibility for baby rabbits that are sometimes impulsively purchased as gifts during this season. Fireworks follows a similar format, explaining the origin of Fourth of July celebrations and how fireworks are made and used. Halloween presents a history of jack-o'-lanterns along with a description of this holiday's origin. Stevens also discusses how Irish settlers brought the story of Jack and his lantern to North America in the 1800s. All of the texts are clearly written and well organized. Important terms are highlighted in boldface text and defined in glossaries. Each book includes clear, close-up, full-color photographs. Halloween and Fireworks also have black-and-white line drawings. With their easy-to-read texts, these are fine additions.-Denise Brna, Bentleyville Public Library, PA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.