The Pumpkin Runner
Illustrator: Brad Sneed
Dial Books for Young Readers 1998

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The Story Behind the Story

The first time I heard the true story, on which The Pumpkin Runner is based, I was attending a workshop led by my friend, Jim Halm. To demonstrate perseverance, Jim told the story of Cliff Young, a 61-year-old farmer who had entered a 500 mile race from Melbourne to Sydney. He was the oldest of 11 runners. Amidst ridicule, Cliff won the race and took two days off the record, then he shared his winnings with all the other runners! I used this as the base for my story, but almost everything else is pure imagination.

The race Cliff won was the inaugural (the very first!) Westfield Sydney to Melbourne Ultra Marathon. Unfortunately, from information I've gleaned from the Internet, this race was only held from 1983 to 1991 and is no longer.

In stories, truth and imagination often mix. The truth is Cliff Young was a potato farmer and helped his brother raise cattle. I decided to make my character, Joshua, a sheep rancher because there are a lot of sheep ranchers in Australia and because I thought sheep would make good illustrations.

The Australian Information Service informed me that Cliff trained for the race by running in gumboots around the farm, herding cattle. He didn't run the actual race in gumboots and overalls, but I thought it made a good story!

Cliff Young is a folk hero in Australia and many stories, some true and some not true, are told about him.

Awards and Honors

Reviews

	This book is dedicated to Cliff Young. I never met Mr. Young, but I did visit Australia, two years after the book was published.

From Smithsonian: "Arnold's spritely narration of a marathoner's triumph is a delight from start to finish."

From Publisher's Weekly: "Sneed's cleverly skewed perspectives and Arnold's engaging style make this book, like its star, an easy winner."

From The Florida Times-Union: "This story is beguiling…Pumpkin Runner is as close to perfect as read-aloud books come. It's got an interesting story, a happy surprise, enthralling oil-on-canvas illustrations and a good-for-the-soul lesson."

From The Atlanta Constitution: "Bold, energetic illustrations and good old-fashioned storytelling make this modern-day fable about setting and achieving goals a real treat."

From Kirkus: "…Arnold pens a folksy, aw-shucks piece. Sneed's drawings are done in a Midwestern vernacular style, with the undulating rhythm of Thomas Hart Benton. They place this legend of a long-distance, Down Under runner somewhere between a tall tale and a picture-perfect front-porch anecdote."

From The Five Owls: "More important than Arnold's familiar construction is her use of an adult hero. Yes, children like to read about themselves. But too few stories show children what they can be, not today, not tomorrow, but in that wide, unfathomable "someday" - which really isn't so different from today or tomorrow, if we just have a chance to look at it."

From Press-Telegram, Long Beach, CA: "If you didn't know it was based on fact you'd swear that this is a tall tale. Arnold embellishes the truth with such verve that you cheer for the old pumpkin-eating farmer from the first steps of the race."

From The Houston Chronicle: "Brad Sneed's pictures look as though he painted them while sitting on Ayres Rock in Australia. They are smooth and golden, their tone echoing Arnold's sincerity tinged with whimsy."

From Contra Costa Times: "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."

From Christian Home and School: "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."

From Booklist: "Kids should enjoy the idea of someone running a race on pumpkin power, and they will respond to Yellow Dog, Joshua's faithful companion. All of the art is suffused with a lively glow."

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