A passel of playful peas keeps it green as they experience the colorful world around them, from red kites to yellow buses to purple mountains and more! Bright and bold illustrations fill the pages of this delightful exploration of color.
A summery spread of "BLUE" kicks off the proceedings, with each letter in a slightly different texture or pattern, as well as a slightly different hue. One letter looks as if it were sponged in an aqua tone, another in an indigo shade shows subtly mazelike patterns. The text--"Blue boats, blue seas, blue flags, and..."--in thick black letters, introduces green pea sailors and flag wavers, whose props pick up on the word's diverse tones. A turn of the page completes the sentence: "little green peas." The characters swim, snorkel, build sand castles and wave from the deck of a luxury liner (as in the earlier books, a ladybug appears on each spread). An internal rhyme holds each line together, as the little green peas move into autumn ("Red fences, red trees, red kites, and.../ little green peas"), winter ("Purple mountains, purple skis, purple mittens, and.../ little green peas") and a standout for spring: "Green vines, green leaves, green sprouts, and.../ baby green peas." Readers will easily spot the babies, with each pod carefully guarded by at least one adult pea, while the gardener peas water the sprouts and sport waterproof boots, showing how to tend their offspring.
Once again, Baker models a busy community of little green peas working and playing together. He ends on a humorous note for "White/Black." Read the book to discover his clever twist.--Shelf Awareness, July 25, 2014 *STARRED REVIEW