Little Green Peas: A Big Book of Colors (Peas)

PreS-Gr 2--Picture-book sequels can be tricky to do well, but Baker continues to beat the odds with this follow-up to LMNO Peas (2010) and 1-2-3 Peas (2012, both S. & S.). Groups of irrepressibly individual legumes frolic through a rainbow of colors--red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver, black, and white. Each color is given two spreads. The first shows the name of the color in large textured letters the size of buildings and surrounded by busy peas. "BLUE. Blue boats, blue seas, blue flags and...[page turn] little green peas." On the second spread, the name of the color is gone, replaced by a more detailed landscape showing the peas' escapades. Baker employs a good balance of predictability and surprise in the text; on the spread for green, instead of the familiar "little green peas" at the page turn, readers are treated to an utterly charming garden scene in which peas in colorful rubber boots collect "baby green peas!" from the vine. Careful readers will be rewarded by tiny details recurring throughout the book; a paper airplane thrown from the title page appears on every spread, a ladybug is hidden on every page, and the artist pea (Baker's self-portrait as a pea?) is shown on the cover with a colorful easel and is seen again painting each color throughout the story. Simple in concept but elegant in design and execution, this title is a delight.--Anna Haase Krueger, Ramsey County Library, MN

Having previously played with letters and numbers in LMNO Peas and 123 Peas, Baker's tiny legumes show their true colors (green, namely) in this entertaining companion book. Bouncy rhymes introduce nine colors: "Blue boats, blue seas, / blue flags, and.../ little green peas." Baker uses the page turns to create little crescendos of suspense, and the recurring answer changes just enough to keep things interesting. The color-themed spreads provide plenty of interest of their own, from a pair of autumnal "red" pages that show the peas flying kites and raking leaves to the cosmic black-and-white final spreads, which suggest that neither we (nor peas) are alone in this universe. Ages 4-8. (July)