About the artist:

Princeton author Anita Benarde, an octogenarian and mixed-media artist, self-published the re-release in August. Based on a real-life 1971 Mischief Night in Princeton (called Cranbury in the book), the work tells of a town that has all its pumpkins smashed three Halloweens in a row, then threatens to cancel the holiday. The popular 1972 illustrated children’s book The Pumpkin Smasher is back in print thanks to Internet demand. Benarde is surprised by her book’s lasting popularity. “The hardcover is selling [online] for as high as $499 dollars,” she marvels. “Isn’t that wild?” Copies of the new edition are only available on Amazon, starting at a reasonable $7.52.