Halloween · The Pumpkin Who Didn't Want to Be Scary · pumpkin story for toddlers · gentle Halloween · bedtime story

That evening, in Pumpkin Hollow, it was a big night: the choosing of the pumpkin of honour, the one that would sit right at the top of Lantern Square to watch over the Hollow all through Halloween night. And this year, the one chosen was Croquette! An adorable pumpkin, who talks a lot, a lot, a lot (of course, a pumpkin has no arms to wave about, so it talks). But Croquette has a tiny, minuscule, teensy problem: she doesn't want to be scary.

Because tomorrow, Granny Brindille is to carve her a face, and everyone wants it to be TERRIBLE: big mean eyes, pointy teeth, a frightening grin. But Croquette has no wish at all to frighten the children. She'd just like a nice face, a smile, something gentle. But a pumpkin of honour that isn't scary, does such a thing even exist?

With the help of Zélie and Réglisse, Croquette finally dares to say out loud what she feels deep down. And Granny Brindille, wise witch that she is, carves her the face she really wanted: a big, warm smile. That night, everyone discovers that a pumpkin can watch over the village not by being scary, but by warming hearts with her soft light.

This story teaches your child that you have the right to be yourself, even when everyone expects something else of you. It reminds us that you don't have to be scary or to be like everyone else to have your place, and that kindness is a strength at least as beautiful. A lovely message about standing up for who you are.

And when the smiling pumpkin lights up at the top of Lantern Square, the whole Hollow finds her magnificent. Her soft light reassures little ones and grown-ups alike, and the story ends gently, in the warmth of a Halloween night that isn't scary at all, right in time to close your eyes.

No one forces Croquette to become what she is not, and Granny Brindille truly listens to her before carving her face. Letting a little one choose who they want to be, instead of deciding for them, is the whole spirit of Tilibou bedtime stories. And in the soft fog, the leaves giggle quietly while the pumpkin smiles at the moon.

A gentle, screen-free Halloween story for toddlers from age 3, lovely at bedtime, at nap time, or on the road. As always with Tilibou, the ending stays soft and quiet, without music, so your little one can settle down calmly. 🎃

👉 All the Tilibou bedtime stories at tilibou.com

💡 Tip: to listen to one world back-to-back, choose its season (Noisette, Léo, Cassie, Marin, Tom the Pirate, or the Christmas, Halloween and School seasons).

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