Kid's book I read repeatedly in c1985 about a boy who lived in (possibly) an African country, who is followed home from the market by a demon vegetable

[Gemma]

I loved this book - I was in infants school but it was the first time I actively sought out being scared for fun! A little boy visited a market and a demon vegetable rolled along and followed him home. I'm 90% sure it was a pumpkin and in my mind the book was called The Demon Pumpkin but I've searched online for years and that doesn't seem to exist. I can't remember what happened after he arrived home unfortunately.

[Capn]

There's a list for Children's Stories about Root Vegetables ( https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1... ) - I know a pumpkin isn't a root veg, but I checked just in case.

Squash or gourd, perhaps? :)

And not this, I'm pretty sure: The Runaway Squash: An American Folktale



So you read it in the UK, protagonist is young black boy, correct?

Did the vegetable have a face (like a carved jack o'lantern), if you can remember?

[Gemma]

Thanks so much! No it's not that book but I will check the root vegetable list just in case, thanks :)

And yes to all those things! Definitely set abroad, and I can't remember if the face on the vegetable was made from markings rather than actually carved - I think it might have been.

[Capn]

I'm still looking. The only other creepy stalking vegetable book I can think of is Creepy Carrots!. There really can't be that many out there - someone's gotta know!

[Marsha]

I second Capn, it sounds like Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Capn]

Marsha wrote: "I second Capn, it sounds like Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..."

The thing is, it can't be, if the OP read it in '85! Creepy Carrots came out in 2012... And the protagonist is a bunny, not a human. :)

This one is driving me nuts. Going to be so happy when it is found! :)

[Capn]

Alright, PROBABLY a free bump, but just in case:
Kofi and the Eagle

"Arend's child. The man from the zoo. Mom help. At the market. Kofi is scared. Minor trouble" - was Afrikaans (WorldCat), fed through GoogleTranslate.

It's probably the titular eagle that Kofi is frightened of, but it's an obscure kid's story about a frightened boy in an African market. So I figured it was worth a punt (as I said, bump at the very least)

EDIT: I found a review of this (Books for Keeps, 4 Sept 1980) - https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-conten... Definitely no demon veg. ;)