By Erica Silverman
A witch grows the biggest pumpkin ever and can't budge it off the vine, until a ghost, a vampire, a mummy, and one little bat all pitch in.
A witch grows an enormous pumpkin because she's got her heart set on pumpkin pie, but when Halloween night comes she can't pull it off the vine no matter how she tugs. A ghost tries, a vampire tries, a mummy tries, and the big strong monsters all fail. Then the tiniest one, a little bat, thinks of pulling together in a line, and off it pops. So they slice it up and share the pie, monsters and witch, on the front steps.
Here's your zero-scare pick. The ghost and vampire and mummy look the part but they're all perfectly friendly, and the real story is about teamwork and the little guy having the big idea. Give it to a three- or four-year-old who loves the costumes and pumpkins of Halloween but isn't ready for anything the least bit spooky, and it's just warm and funny from cover to cover.