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Farmer Plum's Great Pumpkin Adventure: A Saltspring Story

by John Hansen; Illustrated by J.M. Rode

22 pages; Saddle stitched; illustrated children's book; catalogue #06-1079; ISBN 1-4120-9325-2; US$11.30, C$12.99, EUR9.28, £6.50

Farmer Plums' Great Pumpkin Adventure is a delightfully illustrated full colour picture book about the misadventures of a Saltspring Island pumpkin farmer.

Farmer Plums' Great Pumpkin Adventure is a delightful story about a pumpkin farmer on Saltspring Island that loses his entire truckload of Halloween pumpkins in a most unfortunate accident on his way to market. The adventure that ensues involves all the birds and animals on the island that will delight all our small readers. See how farmer Plums' accident turns into something very magical for everyone on the island.

While the story is fiction lessons within the book are not. The child will discover how plants grow, learn the names of various island birds and trees plus get valuable lessons on traffic safety. Parents and teachers will easily use this book to reinforce the lessons learned.

The book is richly illustrated with full colour pictures that by themselves enable even the most junior reader the ability to easily follow the storyline. This is truly a local island story that shares some of the island life with the reader and would be a wonderful souvenir keepsake.

Author John Hansen comes by his story telling honestly having a father who was well known for his captivating stories of life on Lake of the Woods. John was brought up on tales of survival in the woods and has never forgotten the many hours of pleasure that they brought.

Like his father, John has a reputation of regaling friends and family with similar tales of adventure and fun. However, John's recent stay on Saltspring Island spurred the author to put this story to print and he has already started the second in the series of the farmer "Horace Plum".

John now lives with his wife Elaine and dog Banjo in Vancouver just a short walk from English Bay.

Illustrator Jeff Rode, a native of Edmonton, Alberta, received his initial training in painting and printmaking there before leaving for the West Coast to pursue his chosen media. Over the years, Jeff has worked as a screen printer, illustrator and graphic artist. In his illustrations, Jeff's sense of whimsy is self evident as well as his attention to composition and form.

Jeff now lives in Victoria with his wife Jenny and cat Kia. he continues to work and show his paintings, screen and relief prints in his studio, on his website www.jmrode.com and local galleries.

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