A rabbit named Belle and a squirrel called Boo share a wondrous friendship that appears to be unshakeable. Each year, they enjoy a Pumpkin Day Tea where they express their thankfulness for their friendship and all that is good in their lives.
This year, Belle is hosting, and she sends an invitation to Boo to arrive at her cozy pumpkin shell on Thursday at 3 p.m. Even though it’s raining outside on Thursday, Belle is cheerful as she vacuums her home and prepares the tea in anticipation of Boo’s arrival.
Boo, on the other hand, is miserable as he waits in his pumpkin shell, then checks his mail box once again for an invitation from Belle. Nothing! Boo mutters, “Home alone is not the way / I want to spend my Pumpkin Day.”
As Belle continues with her preparations, she isn’t bothered by the rain’s din. Boo, however, “loathed the sound / of noisy raindrops falling down. / The day was drab. His den was dank. / He made a fire. It smoked. It stank. / His mood was dark and stinky too. / ‘So much for friends like Belle!’ huffed Boo.”
Author Laura Sassi's rhyming text skillfully contrasts the moods of the friends and shows how they begin to question each other’s motives and whether their friendship is genuine.
But when Belle goes in search of Boo, they bump into each other and discover that their friendship can withstand a lost invitation and a misunderstanding. Later, as they prepare fresh tea and food, the mystery of the missing invitation is solved, and now three friends, instead of two, celebrate Pumpkin Day.
Illustrator Farah Shah’s charming artwork enhances this , which focuses on biblical themes found in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a (“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances”) and in Psalm 188:24 (‘This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”).
(Paraclete Press)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.