A green pea, a bumblebee, and a bluejay become fast friends in this charming early graphic novel.Pea lives in a pod with his mother and grandfather. Feeling stifled by his family, Pea is excited to go rolling with his other round-ish farm friends (a blueberry, strawberry, cherry, and other peas). Soon their fun escalates into a dare to roll off the farm and procure a red leaf from a far-off oak tree, and Pea is eager to meet the challenge. But as soon as he starts his journey, Pea is caught in a rainstorm that washes him away, leaving him lost and stranded off the farm! There he meets Bee, a solitary bespectacled bumblebee, and soon the duo stumble upon Jay, an unassuming orphaned bluejay who never learned how to fly. The trio decide to team up, combining their unique skills and personalities to outwit an army of bumblebee guards, bush full of raspberry-blowing raspberries, and a predatory fox to return Pea to his home. In a satisfying conclusion, all three discover that family and community weren't far beyond their reach after all. Simple, expressive full-color illustrations are friendly and easy to parse. Combining these visual elements with a sweet, straightforward plot makes this a perfect graphic novel for newly independent readers; that it kicks off a series makes it all the sweeter. Volume 2, Wannabees, publishes simultaneously.Readers will "bee" delighted by this earnest and endearing tale. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

Gr 2-4 An unlikely traveler, a tiny pea, rolls away from his farm home after an ill-intentioned dare by a mean strawberry. Due to a brief downpour, he finds himself farther afield than intended, and to make his way home he tentatively enlists the help of a misfit bee and a blue jay who has yet to learn to fly. This small-scale odyssey emphasizes the virtues of unlikely friendship, teamwork, and bravery. Just as Pea's journey begins without any particular rhyme or reason, so, too, does it merrily roll along to a satisfying conclusion. Colorful, cartoonish natural surroundings seen from a pea's-eye view, the antics of the hapless trio bumbling along together, and a heavy dollop of whimsy result in just the ticket for a cozy kid's read. VERDICT Though the text is a little too dense for early elementary schoolers to read on their own, slightly older students will snatch this one up. Funny, punny, fearless, and even corny, Smith is a master wordsmith with an innate sense of what makes children chuckle. Emilia Packard, Austin, TX

The new graphic novel imprint HarperAlley kicks off with this wacky adventure starring a young pea, a disguised queen bee, and a flightless blue jay. Pea wakes up with the sun, literally ready to roll 's a farm thing. But Pea has barely gotten going when he's stopped by a heated argument between Strawberry and Cherry about who has rolled the farthest. Not to be outdone, Pea joins in, only to be issued a challenge: roll to the big red-leafed tree beyond the fence. Gulp! As Pea gets rolling, a storm moves in and blows him off course and directly into Bee, who also happens to be lost. The two pair up and, after a hilarious misunderstanding, are joined by Jay, who agrees to help them get home. Running gags, eye-rolling puns, and action sequences are accentuated by the colorful cartoon art, which makes impressive use of Pea's large, expressive eyes, his best and only feature. Fans of the Bird & Squirrel books are a natural fit for this fun and funny new series.

A green pea, a bumblebee, and a bluejay become fast friends in this charming early graphic novel.Pea lives in a pod with his mother and grandfather. Feeling stifled by his family, Pea is excited to go rolling with his other round-ish farm friends (a blueberry, strawberry, cherry, and other peas). Soon their fun escalates into a dare to roll off the farm and procure a red leaf from a far-off oak tree, and Pea is eager to meet the challenge. But as soon as he starts his journey, Pea is caught in a rainstorm that washes him away, leaving him lost and stranded off the farm! There he meets Bee, a solitary bespectacled bumblebee, and soon the duo stumble upon Jay, an unassuming orphaned bluejay who never learned how to fly. The trio decide to team up, combining their unique skills and personalities to outwit an army of bumblebee guards, bush full of raspberry-blowing raspberries, and a predatory fox to return Pea to his home. In a satisfying conclusion, all three discover that family and community weren't far beyond their reach after all. Simple, expressive full-color illustrations are friendly and easy to parse. Combining these visual elements with a sweet, straightforward plot makes this a perfect graphic novel for newly independent readers; that it kicks off a series makes it all the sweeter. Volume 2, Wannabees, publishes simultaneously.Readers will "bee" delighted by this earnest and endearing tale. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

A green pea, a bespectacled honeybee, and a blue jay become fast friends in this lively graphic novel early reader. -No rolling too far from our row,- warns Pea-s mother, but it-s not long before a dare sends Pea on a fast-paced adventure beyond the farm. Smith-s cinematic panels capture the action with suspense and style: storm clouds gather in the distance as Pea rolls under the fence and eventually to a stop, lost, beside Bee. Though Bee claims that birds are -the absolute worst,- the pair is soon joined by Jay, a flightless lone bluejay. Venturing forth, the trio works together to get past tough-talking acorns, raspberry-blowing raspberries, and a sly, yellow-eyed villain. Puns and jokes abound, making this series opener as silly as it is sincere about friendship-s value. Pea, Bee, and Jay may make for unlikely companions, but just like the sandwich, they form an unbeatable team. Publishing simultaneously: Wannabees (Pea, Bee, & Jay #2). Ages 6-10. (Sept.)