Title: The Tale of the Pumpkin Seed Squad
Author: Carolyn Mitchell
Publisher: Westwood Books Publishing LLC
ISBN: 1643610627
Pages: 40
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book
Synopsis
Riley Chester-field Mouse has acquired both a name and some friends in this 2nd book of a series chronicling the life of the little field mouse. Through the same easy-read poetry and captivating caricatures exhibited in The Tale of the Christmas Hero, the author and artist comically relate the imaginative adventures — and misadventures — of Riley and his friends.
The tale begins on a crisp, fall morning as Riley hastens to join his friends in their newly-discovered game called football. In a flashback to the previous week, Riley recalls his disastrous introduction to the sport when he tried to interject himself into a people-boys’ game and was found to be no match for a football 10 times his size! But his inventive friend, Gus, hatched a plan to scale the game down to their level, promising to bring a mouse-sized ball to their next Saturday play date.
When Gus arrives at the field lugging a HUGE pumpkin, his friends scoff in disbelief until he climbs inside the pumpkin and proudly produces the perfect game ball — a pumpkin seed! So, then, “with walnut shells for helmets and long toenails for cleats, both teams stood ready to perform amazing football feats!!”
The game and the story play out in clever detail as each mouse team scrambles to conquer the scoreboard before the hungry little Gus devours all the delicious-tasting balls! Through a delightful twist at the end of the tale, the little mice discover friendship to be the real victor in their competition.
The Tale of the Pumpkin Seed Squad is a delightful commentary on competition and sportsmanship that will surely charm even the least of its budding-athlete readers.
About the Author
Following a successful nursing career, Carolyn Mitchell now enthusiastically pursues her life-long interest in writing and poetic expression. Carolyn has always appreciated the versatility of the English language and finds particular pleasure in articulating her stories through rhyme. Children’s literature has had special appeal to Carolyn as she found reading with her children and grandchildren to be one of the purest delights in life. Through this series of engaging rhyming tales, she aims to foster a continuing excitement for reading in children of all ages. Carolyn lives on a farm near Hickman, Nebraska with her husband, Daryl. There they raised 3 daughters — Becky, Christy, and Mandy, and now delight in visits from their 5 grandchildren — Christian, Brandon, Austin, Kirstin, and Haley. Brenda Timms is a gifted and successful artist who expresses her talents through multiple mediums. Equally at ease with oils and acrylics in her paintings, Brenda has, also, created many amazing sculptures on both small and larger-than-life scales. Reared in the beautiful Nebraska countryside, Brenda developed a lasting appreciation for the wonders of nature and, from childhood, was encouraged by her artistic mother to express her fascinations in art form. These continuing values have inspired the charming artwork in these books. Her illustrations delightfully define the personalities of the animal characters and provide infatuating enhancements to the story lines. Brenda’s home is located in David City, N.E., where she now shares the joys of alluring rural life with her daughter, Morgan, and son, Ben.
