It all started with the enormous success of Bill Bennett's "Book of Virtue" -- the notion that children's literature can be written and marketed for more advanced readers.
The idea was that this inspirational literature would be entirely enjoyable on a basic level to all audiences but would also contain a moral message visible to older readers.
So it is with "The Prince Mammoth Pumpkin" by James P. Adams, a chaplain at the College, priest at Saint Thomas Church in Hanover and first time author.
His recent work, published by Paulist Press, is, at its lowest level, a beautiful story about a farmer who nurtures with all his love a gigantic pumpkin, only to find it destroyed by vandals on Halloween day.
It is simple, elegant and enjoyable like most stories heard at bedtime or in kindergarten. What sets his tale apart is the amazingly moving meaning hidden deeper than his printed words.
The story is a parable with clear parallels between characters in the tale and figures from history and religion. It seems so similar that an allegory might more accurately define what it is that Adams wrote.
Through various symbols that are clear from the outset, this story recreates the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an interview with The Dartmouth, Adams even described how the book sprung from a sermon he once gave.
"I was preaching to school kids on Halloween and presented this parable ... actually very little has changed from that in this book," Adams said.
The storyline moves quite smoothly through this Christ-like pumpkin's life of hope and happiness through a tragic death, only to be reborn in even greater abundance.
The farmer, who like all characters in this work remains nameless, seems to represent the disciples and followers of Jesus, who enter into seclusion following the "prince's" death on a hill. The farmer is brought back to happiness through the work of an angel, or at least a child dressed as such for Halloween.
Adams insists that this work is more about losses and coping then about preaching and retelling. "The story isn't about bringing people to the Christian faith ... the most important part is teaching how to count losses."
He said he believes non-Christians would enjoy this book despite its connection to Jesus. This is hard to imagine, even though important general morality lessons exist separately from the overarching theme of Christ's life, which Adams admits was the framework for his story.
This is not to say that "The Prince Mammoth Pumpkin" is inappropriate for all because it might not be enjoyed by some. Books of any type do not need to appeal to everyone and if they do, one must wonder how meaningful they are to anyone.
Instead, the general, yet specific, style of this book allows a great number of people to share in its overflowing soul.
The deep message which this work is able to expound and the complex story which such simple words are able to retell capture the heart and mind of its audience.
The end of the book leaves many questions unanswered: Who were those cats at the end? What was the significance of the pumpkin seed price?
The most important questions this book is able to create, however, are about oneself. Have I missed the true meaning of all these years? Should I have acted differently when confronted with that situation yesterday?
One of the greatest things about this genre of literature is its ability to provoke these types of questions. This happens because it is able to address well-worn ideas with amazing new vitality.
When presented with the story of Jesus, one can forget the importance of the story because of its repetition in our own lives. How many times can one hear the same story without having its important impact lessened?
By retelling the story in this child-like way, Adams is able to force his readers to reflect on many levels about the true significance of the allegorical narrative. Just like children's words can often have profound meaning for adults, so too can children's literature contain important meaning ripe for reflection on a deeper level.
This mind captivation is threatened in this work, however, by some overly clear symbols. Some elements of this parable were so overt, like the obvious implication of the adjective in the work's title or phrases such as "the mighty resurrection of the prince," that individual interpretation and self-reflection might be stifled.
"The Prince Mammoth Pumpkin" is a book that can cause one to rethink beliefs, lif and values in a way few other books have.
Adams said he is already planning a second book which will involve a character from "The Prince Mammoth Pumpkin."
Adams will be reading his work for the general public tonight at Edgerton House on 14 School Street in Hanover at 9 p.m.
