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Title: The Pumpkin Runner
Author: Marsha Diane Arnold
"In 1983, a 61-year-old Australian farmer captivated the nation when he won the 542-mile run between Sydney and Melbourne — and split the $10,000 reward with his fellow contestants. Arnold's spritely narration of a marathoner's triumph is a delight from start to finish."
Smithsonian Magazine
"Though he may have the appearance of a tall tale-hero, Arnold's protagonist is inspired by a real 61-year-old Australian farmer who won a 542-mile race in 1983. Joshua Summerhayes, an eccentric sheep farmer from Blue Gum Creek, and his sidekick, Yellow Dog, enter the 12th annual Koala-K Race from Melbourne to Sydney. With the help of energizing slices of pumpkins that grow 'round as a wombat's belly,' they finish first together and share the $10,000 prize money with the other runners. Arnold's loquacious storyteller style and the farmer's aw-shucks humility lend a hardy, ageless humor to the somewhat meandering plot. Sneed (Smoky Mountain Rose) revels in the contrasts between the farmer's sense of generosity and his workaday attire, set against depictions of the single-mindedness and swaggering bravado of the other runners in their fancy shoes and shorts. When the villain, Damien Dodgerelle, brags that he has 'run two hundred kilometers a week for three months training for this race,' Joshua says simply, 'I just check my herds, from sunup to sundown.' As the other runners lift 300-pound weights, perform one-handed push-ups and drink power fluids, Joshua stands in his blue bib overalls and orange gum boots and eats pumpkin stew — and runs for the love of it. Sneed's cleverly skewed perspectives and Arnold's engaging style make this, like its star, an easy winner."
Publishers Weekly
"Noting her story's origins in the true tale of a 61-year-old Australian farmer who beat much younger runners in a 542-mile race from Sydney to Melbourne in 1983, Arnold pens a folksy, aw-shucks piece. Joshua Summerhayes, unlike other ranchers, relies on his feet instead of a vehicle to check on his flocks. He attributes his endurance to the home-grown pumpkins he consumes. When a flier about a $10,000 racing prize blows across his porch, Joshua borrows a friend's jeep and loads it up with pumpkins, his dog, and Aunt Millie, and heads for the starting line. At first onlookers laugh at Joshua's overalls and boots, but as he gradually overtakes all the other runners, their laughs turn to cheers. Sneed's drawings are done in a Midwestern vernacular style, with the undulating rhythm of Thomas Hart Benson. They place this legend of a long-distance, Down Under runner somewhere between a tall tale and a picture-perfect front-porch anecdote."
Kirkus Reviews
"Bold, energetic illustrations and good old-fashioned storytelling make this modern-day fable about setting and achieving goals a real treat. Inspired by the true story of Australian marathoner Cliff Young, Arnold's tale follows the exploits of an aging runner (and avid pumpkin eater)."
The Atlanta Constitution
"When Joshua arrives, the other runners treat him with scorn because he is old, doesn't train properly, and wears jeans and orange gumboots. But Joshua wins the race. Another surprise follows: Joshua splits the $10,000 prize with the other winners. He didn't race for the money; he just likes to run. The vibrant illustrations jump off the page and make the Blue Gum Valley of Australia come to life.
"This tale of a modest hero who loves to run can spark a conversation about what it means to be a winner."
Christian Home & School
"Overcoming obstacles as lively as you'd find in a Jules Verne balloon race, Joshua wins, shakes hands with his fellow runners and gives them some of his reward. Brad Sneed's pictures look as though he painted them while sitting on Ayers Rock in Australia. They are smooth and golden, their tone echoing Arnold's sincerity tinged with whimsy. The book was inspired by Cliff Young, a 61-year-old farmer from Victoria, Australia, who defeated younger opponents in a 542-mile run between Sydney and Melbourne in 1983. He won $10,000 and split it with other runners."
Houston Chronicle
"A delightful picture book that children will surely enjoy is 'The Pumpkin Runner,' by Marsha Diane Arnold. The story is set in Australia and as you read about Joshua Summerhayes and his sheep ranch, you quickly realize that it's set in another culture far different from ours. You begin to notice different names like the eucalyptus trees, a restaurant called 'Wooly Booly Barbecue,' a valley called 'Blue Gum' and a canyon called 'Cockatoo.' Joshua is a 60 year old who runs all over his 10 thousand acre ranch taking care of his sheep. He has done this since he was 10 years old. That was when he discovered pumpkins growing 'round as a wombat' and golden 'where the sun sparked through the eucalyptus trees.' He felt so energized from eating these pumpkins that he began running everywhere. Other rancher friends were always teasing him to buy a jeep, but his answer was always the same. 'I like to run,' and as long as he had pumpkins to eat he'd keep running. Then one day he noticed that the Koala-K Race was coming up. This was a 900 Kilometer race from Melbourne to Sydney with a $10,000 prize for the winner. He decided that he hadn't been to see a city for a while, so he'd participate. Other runners trained with weights and pushups, Joshua trained by picking up hurt sheep and carrying them on his back. Some runners brought hi-energy drinks, he brought pumpkins. All of the other runners wore nylon shorts and running shoes whereas Joshua just had on his overalls and orange gumboots. With the character development in this well written book, you just can't help but like and appreciate Joshua's simple ways. Brad Sneed has illustrated the pictures so well that you really begin to feel and taste Australia. No wonder it's this year's 'Show-Me' Award nominee. And the most amazing thing about this story is that it's based on a true event. Great reading for any age!"
Newton's Book Reviews
Online review at geocities.com/newtonsbooks
"A humble Australian sheep rancher runs for the sheer joy of it, and when he wins a race from Melbourne to Sydney (542 miles), he shares the prize money with all the other contestants. The author, inspired by an actual incident, has woven the facts into a breezy tale with the hallmarks of a legend to be told for years. Comical oil paint illustrations make the reader feel like running too."
Contra Costa Times
"A 60-something farmer, accustomed to running around his ranch in Australia after the sheep, puts on his gum boots and joins a 542-mile race between Sydney and Melbourne in this very funny picture book, based on a true 1983 story of a 61-year-old sheep farmer who beat younger opponents and set a record. Arnold's story is funny in itself; Sneed's distinctive illustrations, featuring odd perspectives and elongated figures, elevate it to another plane."
Buffalo News Review