1-2-3 Peas (Peas)

The bipedal green peas that starred in LMNO Peas return in a lively counting romp. Interacting with large, brightly colored numerals, the peas plant seeds, hammer nails into a wooden platform, and jump into a pool: "Five peas painting—/ brush, brush, brush, / Six peas traveling—/ rush, rush, rush." The peas skip rope as numbers 11 through 19 are clustered onto one spread ("skip, skip, skip"), before the book begins counting by tens and the commotion rockets, bringing readers up to 100. Baker's energizing graphics are as joyful and fresh as in the first book, anthropomorphizing the peas in spreads that burst with personality. Ages 3-7. (July)

PreS-Gr 1--This colorful counting book features the same cast of characters introduced in Baker's LMNO Peas (S & S, 2010). This time, the peas are out and about engaging in all sorts of imaginative activities that the "pea-wee" crowd might enjoy: planting, painting, dancing on stage, building, fishing, singing, etc. As youngsters browse the pages, they can count along from 1 to 20, then to 100 by tens. Each page features a large numeral and a representative number of peas in and around that number. For example, 70 ("SEVENTY peas singing--la, la, la") presents a rock band (the Peatles) staged on top of the seven, a pea singing in the shower, a choir, and a soloist named Pea yonce. On the other hand, 40 ("FORTY peas napping--sleep, sleep, sleep") displays forty peas napping peacefully alongside their piles of books. Children will also enjoy checking for other details, such as the ladybug hidden on each spread. The digitally rendered illustrations are presented in eye-catching shades of blue, orange, green, red, and more. With so much illustrated detail, this book is best suited for one-on-one sharing, and children will enjoy returning time and again to discover the visual surprises or humorous touches hidden in the book's pages.--Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA