Title: The Pumpkin Patch Parable
Author: Liz Curtis Higgs
Illustrator: Nancy Munger
Disclaimer: I LOVE LIZ CURTIS HIGGS! Moms, if you have not read her Bad Girls of the Bible series, you should… totally not the point of this post though…
Summary: Bestselling author Liz Curtis Higgs shares God’s love and redemption with this beautiful fall story about a farmer who turns a simple pumpkin into a bright light that brings joy. Help your children understand how God makes us into new creations with this simple story that won the Gold Medallion Award for Best Christian Book of the Year.
My thoughts: Every October my kids pull this book off the shelf and read it over and over again. It is a perfect “parable” to show how the farmer turns the pumpkin into something new, just like God turns us into something new. This heartwarming story reminds my kids of the love of God every time they see a carved pumpkin!
I really never had a negative though about this book in the 7 or 8 years that we have owned it, until one of my kids asked if a pumpkin was a vegetable or fruit… Well, the book says it’s a vegetable… but I’m pretty sure it’s a fruit, just like Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber in VeggieTales. In my opinion, this does not take away the value of the story at all though.
Parent tip: Read it with your kids! They’ll love it. You’ll love it.
This book has a very simple, natural way of explaining the “new creation” concept. Follow the conversation that is led by your kids. If there is not one, that’s ok.
There are Bible verses along the bottom of the pages. Personally, I do not think they are needed, but they can add to the story in a beautiful way for adults and older children. If you are reading this with young children, I would skip those verses unless they point them out.
Enjoy!