I really enjoyed reading this book and it kind of reminded me of Noah's Arc from the Bible. It is about a man who ends up growing a large pumpkin and when a flood comes, he piles in animals, himself, and his wife as they sail away on a river away from the oncoming flood. Once they reach land again, they make a new home and plant another pumpkin. I would recommend this book for all elementary students because I think it has good representation of Indian culture and the illustrations are beautiful.

Pattan and his gigantic pumpkin manage to hold the local animals and plants as they float in the floodwaters. Colorful illustrations bring to life the people and village life of the Sahyadri foothills.

Pattan and his wife Kanni have a farm in the Sahyadri Mountains in this traditional tale from the Irula people of southern India. When a great flood begins to threaten them, Pattan hollows out the gigantic pumpkin that had been growing in his garden, and he and his family, as well as all of the local animals, hide inside while the waters rage around them...

As has been noted by many other readers, Pattan's Pumpkin: A Traditional Flood Story from Southern India has some similarities to the biblical story of Noah and the Ark, although it has some dissimilarities as well. There doesn't seem to be any divine intervention in the Irula tale, for instance. It's interesting to note that ancient flood stories can be found in cultures all over the world. The Huichol people of Mexico, for instance, tell the story of Watákame and the flood. See Hallie N. Love's Watákame's Journey: The Story of the Great Flood and the New World for one retelling. I'm glad to gave encountered this flood story, which originally concerned a giant churakka (bottle gourd), rather than pumpkin, although I did find myself wondering how a pumpkin (or any other kind of gourd) could have functioned as a boat. Leaving that aside, this was an engaging story, and featured gorgeously colorful artwork from the talented Frané Lessac. Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone interested in the world's diverse flood stories. ( )

This story reminded me of Noah's Ark. There are lots of animals with owners, Pattan & Kanni. Pattan's pumpkin saves everybody from a great big flood. I love the illustrations in this story. I notice that Lessac uses some lines in the pictures. He also uses a lot of colors that make the pictures brighter and realistic. This can be a great story for kids to learn about how important plants can be. It is a great book for kids to learn about nature. ( )