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Synopsis
Desmond and Clayton must work together to win the Biggest Pumpkin competition, in this popular bestselling picture book
Children's Literature
Originally published in 1984, this edition offers the opportunity to introduce another generation to the wonderful mice characters Kroll so deftly creates with words and his darling illustrations. "Darling" is not a word to be associated with real mice, but Kroll's charming Clayton and Desmond are definitely in this category. Each of these micelings independently discovers a tiny pumpkin growing in the garden. Unbeknownst to each other, each mouse decides to nurture "his" pumpkin to its fullest potential. Clayton wants to enter it in the town's pumpkin contest and Desmond wants to create the biggest jack-o'-lantern ever seen in the neighborhood. Readers will delight in the knowledge that neither mouse is aware of the other as they water, fertilize, and care for the same pumpkin, Clayton during the day and Desmond by the light of the moon. The delightful laughter they share as they discover each other humming and covering the now truly gigantic pumpkin with blankets (to protect it from frost) is truly charming. The lack of jealousy and the easy with they arrange for both of their goals to be met is a wonderful example for young readers to emulate. Needless to say, the pumpkin prize is won and later the jack-o'-lantern throws a golden light over the entire village of mice. Kroll's illustrations capture the joint exertions and the droll comparisons of the two young mice's efforts with simple cartoon-like drawings that cleverly depict the emotions of each. The townsmice are also given anthropomorphic expressions that reveal their enjoyment of the entire story. Read this one aloud, and plan to plant a pumpkin of your own using Clayton and Desmond's pumpkin growing advice—maybe you'llhave a gigantic pumpkin of you own next fall. Includes foil pumpkin stickers.