Ready for Pumpkins

Book excerpt: A classroom guinea pig finds a way to plant his own garden in this funny tale of pumpkins and patience. After watching the first graders grow plants from seeds, Hercules, the class guinea pig, is inspired. He wants to grow things, too! With the help of a rabbit named Daisy, Hercules plants his seeds and waits. And waits and waits. . . . He learns that growing things takes more than seeds and soil, sun and rain. It takes patience. But sometimes having to wait makes the reward even sweeter. “Duke’s story brims with humor of both the classroom and animal-buddy varieties, and her featherlight paintings capture every ounce of Herky’s enthusiasm, impatience, and eventual satisfaction.” —PW, starred review