Pumpkin Jack - Fall Read Aloud Books for Children - Autumn Halloween Read Alouds- Bedtime Stories - video Dailymotion

The Children's Storytime Bookshelf

Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbell, is an engaging kid's book read aloud for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school ages (and adults still young at heart), for Halloween and the Fall/Autumn season.  Parents and teachers, join me here at The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for daily read alouds in the classroom, at bedtime, or anytime!  Follow The Children's Storytime Bookshelf for a classic children's library.  #kidsbooksreadaloud #readaloud #readaloudbooksforchildren

Transcript

00:00Pumpkin Jack.

00:28Written and illustrated by Will Hubbell.

00:35When Tim carved his first pumpkin, it was fierce, and funny, and just perfect.

00:41A jack-o'-lantern this good deserved a name, so Tim gave him one, Jack.

00:51Long after the best trick-or-treat candy was eaten, Tim still kept Jack.

00:56That night when a candle made Jack's face dance on the wall and fill the dark with warm

01:01pumpkin smells, Tim felt Jack was almost magic, yet too soon the spell was broken.

01:10This pumpkin is beginning to rot, announced Mom.

01:16It's time to throw it out.

01:18Tim knew it was useless to argue.

01:21He carried Jack to the garden, which was filled with the brown ghosts of last summer's plants.

01:26A dead garden is better than a trash can, thought Tim.

01:30Still, it made him sad to leave Jack outside and alone.

01:38Whenever chores or play brought Tim to the garden, he looked at Jack.

01:43Every time, Jack was different.

01:46He became wrinkled, and his fierce smile began to look silly.

01:54Mold spread over Jack's bright orange skin.

01:58As the days turned colder, Jack grew flatter.

02:06Winter began.

02:07Soon Jack was hidden beneath snow, and Tim forgot about him.

02:12The cold, heavy jacket days came.

02:15Snowman and sliding days.

02:17Indoor days.

02:18Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's.

02:22When all these days had passed and the March winds melted the snow, Tim found Jack.

02:32There wasn't much left, just a faded and crumpled pumpkin skin, a stem, and a few seeds.

02:39Jack's Halloween magic was a distant memory now.

02:43Tim scraped a thin blanket of earth over the last bits of his pumpkin.

02:47Goodbye, Jack, he whispered.

02:53When spring turned barefoot warm, a tiny sprout appeared where Jack had been.

02:59Tim found it and guessed what it was.

03:05In the days that followed, Tim weeded and watered and watched the sprout.

03:11Slowly and steadily, the plant changed and grew.

03:14It branched and spread a web of vines over the ground, but no pumpkin appeared.

03:23The days turned hot.

03:25Flowers opened on the plant each morning, yellow stars that twisted shut forever in

03:30the afternoon.

03:31Still, there were no pumpkins.

03:38Finally, Tim found a little green ball growing behind a crumpled blossom.

03:43A pumpkin!

03:44Tim let out a whoop and ran to show his mom.

03:48By August, the plant had spilled onto the lawn.

03:51Tim's favorite game became pumpkin hunting.

03:55He carefully waded among the leaves, searching for green pumpkins like hidden treasure.

04:04School began again in the days cold.

04:07Tim had less time to visit the garden.

04:10When he did, the pumpkin plant seemed tired.

04:13There were few new leaves, and the old tattered ones no longer hid the fat green pumpkins.

04:19Then, one October morning, Tim woke to see frost coating the garden.

04:25The frozen plant seemed changed to pale blue glass.

04:32After school, Tim discovered what the frost had done.

04:36The pumpkin plant's leaves were as limp as wet paper.

04:40It was dying.

04:42Tim searched among the withered leaves for the unripe pumpkins.

04:46He picked them and put them on the front porch, hoping for one more change.

04:54By Halloween, the pumpkins had ripened to bright orange.

04:59There were many, for the plant had been generous.

05:02Tim was generous, too.

05:04He gave away all but one.

05:10From jack-o'-lantern, to seed, to pumpkin again, the circle was almost complete.

05:17Now it was time for Tim to do his part.

05:20He gave his pumpkin a face.

05:22It smiled at him in a fierce and funny way.

05:25Tim smiled, too, and said, Welcome back, Jack!

Pumpkin Jack - Fall Read Aloud Books for Children - Autumn Halloween Read Alouds- Bedtime Stories

Category

Transcript

Recommended