Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Lila and the Jack-o'-Lantern by Nancy Churnin and Anneli Bray - ADVISABLE

Lila and the Jack-o'-Lantern: Halloween Comes to America b
y Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Anneli Bray
. PICTURE BOOK Albert Whitman, 2023. $19. 9780807566633

BUYING ADVISORY: Pre-K, EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Lila and her family have immigrated from Ireland to America in search of life away from the suffering in their homeland. Lila is afraid, however, that their celebration of Halloween will get lost and they won't be able to trick Jack, the sly Halloween spirit, or scare him away with the carved turnip. Sure enough, there are few turnips to be found in their new city. But one day Lila meets Julia, a girl her own age, who shows her something that may work - the pumpkin. 

While it is cool to find out that Halloween came from Ireland and that jack-o-lanterns originally were carved turnips, the overall story is just kind of ehh. A solid average read. Julia and her family are traditional Irish. Her new friend Julia may be Jewish (last name Levine). 

Cindy, MS Librarian, MLIS

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