PUMPKIN DAY FOR BOO AND BELLE: Book Review and Giveaway

The colors of autumn are in the air. Perhaps you’re like me and searching for a new children’s book that has a fall vibe, but is not Halloween-y. Have no fear, Boo and Belle are here!

The Author

The author, Laura Sassi, has written numerous books, including LOVE IS KIND, GOODNIGHT ARK, Happy Birthday Christmas Child.

A graduate of Princeton University and UCLA, Sassi had a successful teaching career before becoming a children’s author. She’s been a homeschool mom, children’s ministry director, historic museum interpreter, and more.

In addition to writing delightful books for children, Sassi also frequently writes helpful posts for parents on her blog at Laura Sassitales.com.

Inside PUMPKIN DAY FOR BOO AND BELLE

Belle is a rabbit hosting the annual Pumpkin Day Tea for her chipmunk friend, Boo. She sent the invitation, cleaned the house, and baked the goodies. Belle when Boo doesn’t show, Belle questions his friendship.

Meanwhile, a brooding attitude is brewing with Boo as well. He’s wondering why Belle didn’t invite him to the Pumpkin Day tea this year.

The lack of an invitation and slack communication have these two in a quandary.

In the end, the friends learn the importance of communication. forgiveness, and thankfulness. Plus, they are pleasantly surprised when they discover what happened to Boo’s invitation. I’ll not spoil the surprise ending for you.

Laura Sassi penned beautiful rhyming text. Boo and Belle are engaging and relatable characters.

Biblical values are present, but the story does not mention God, prayer, etc.  There is one Bible verse printed on the back page:

“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV).

Fall Elements That Are Not Halloween-y

The illustrator, Farah Shah, included lots of fall elements in PUMPKIN DAY FOR BOO AND BELLE.

There’s an adorable neighborhood map in the front of the book. Everyone lives in a gourd of some kind. Colorful pumpkins grace almost every page. It might be fun to ask children to count how many pumpkins they can find in the book.

Other fall elements include: sweaters, sunflowers, fall banners, a fire in the fireplace, acorns, apples, colorful leaves, and chrysanthemums.

There are no jack o’lanterns, costumes, or anything related to Halloween themes. Even the calendar on Boo’s wall has the “Pumpkin Day” party circled for the 9^th day of an unlabeled month.

It’s all fall, y’all.

Recommendation and Giveaway

I recommend this cute picture book with rhyming text for ages 3 – 8. It would make a delightful fall feature in any school, home, or church library.

Would you like an opportunity to win this adorable book? Are you on our email subscriber list? We’ll select a name from that list on October 2, 2025. As always, I pay all shipping costs. The winner is never asked to pay anything. If you’re not on the list, you can subscribe for free by using the link at the very bottom of this website, or by clicking on the “Want More?” box in the sidebar on the right. We have lots of giveaways and goodies for you!

I want to thank Paraclete Press for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

While you’re waiting to hear who wins this book, tell us a few things YOU love about the fall season!

CONGRATULATIONS to the subscriber whose email begins with “joneskids—–“. You won this book! Be on the lookout from an email from me from this website. Yay!

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.