Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 03/01/2026 PreS-Gr 2—For those who celebrate the spirit of Halloween year-round, there's Summerween. Fans of Gravity Falls first embraced the quirky holiday over a decade ago, and it has slowly gained traction—perhaps because those fans are now parents. Summerween traditions include dressing up, telling spooky stories, and carving watermelon. In this playful picture book, however, no one tells a little girl or her carefully tended pumpkin seed that it is destined for summer festivities rather than fall. The girl lovingly nurtures her green pumpkin in a garden bed filled with golden, smooth, bumpy, and scarred companions—all dreaming of Halloween. It isn't until Labor Day that she discovers her favorite pumpkin is a watermelon, inspiring a joyful celebration of Summerween with family and friends. This warm, gently humorous story will appeal to budding gardeners, Halloween enthusiasts, and children who hold fast to their dreams. Moreno's bold, expressive illustrations capture the Halloween spirit in both the girl and her garden, while subtle details, such as the spoiled watermelon lingering on the porch beside carved jack-o'-lanterns, add depth and charm. A spirited addition for seasonal collections and a thoughtful reminder that sometimes celebrations arrive in unexpected forms. VERDICT For libraries in need of building their holiday collections, pick this one up. It will reach those who are looking for something fun and a little bit different, any time of year.—Cassie Veselovsky - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Publishers Weekly - 06/08/2026 Halloween festivities bloom early across Choppy and Moreno’s offbeat story of mistaken identity. Planted by an excited girl portrayed with black hair and light brown skin, one little seed dreams of pumpkinhood, its vision fueled by "tales of the jack-o’-lanterns" the child’s gardening will yield. Bright-eyed narration tracks the growth process from sprout to yellow-blossomed vine to hardy fruit. But while the other produce develops into plump, orange specimens, the subject’s rind seems only to get greener, even as he wistfully thinks "the Halloweeniest thoughts." When the "little pumpkin" is revealed by the child’s father to be a watermelon, the youth’s shocked dismay is swiftly replaced with the help of some creative carving and savvy marketing: "Happy Summerween!" Waxy, color-saturated naive-style mixed-media illustrations vividly support the work’s genial qualities by slipping anthropomorphic grins onto produce. It’s a tale poised to launch new holiday traditions. Ages 3-7. (May) - Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly used with permission.