ALA Booklist (Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

When Maya first hears about the class project "to plant a garden like Thomas Jefferson's," she is . . . well, uninspired. But after her teacher explains that Jefferson and his neighbors competed to see who would harvest the first peas each spring, she is ready to pit herself against her classmates in their own contest. The students plant a vegetable garden together, but each tends a small, separate pea patch. Despite some overwatering and high winds, the gardening project succeeds. Grigsby and Tadgell, who created In the Garden with Dr. Carver (2010), again combine history and gardening in a picture book with classroom potential. The first-person narrative relates events and Maya's changing perspective in a believably childlike voice, while the pencil-and-watercolor illustrations capture the story's tone as well as the characters' emotions. More fully documented than many nonfiction picture books, this volume concludes with an afterword about Jefferson, detailed source notes, and a related bibliography. An activity guide (not seen) will be provided online.

Horn Book

Just like Thomas Jefferson's friendly competition with his gentlemen farmer neighbors, Maya's class plants peas and has a First Peas to the Table contest. The amiable story line includes gardening troubles, such as a windstorm that knocks over some of the plants, but ends with the winner's bowl of peas served to the class. Realistic watercolor illustrations add plant details and touches of humor. Bib.

Kirkus Reviews

When Ms. Garcia's students emulate Thomas Jefferson and his "first peas to the table" contest, will it bring out the best or the worst in two friends? With Jefferson's garden as a model for their own class plot, Ms. Garcia's students start learning about his agricultural experiments as they prepare to participate in their own contest. Begun by Jefferson and his friends, the neighborly challenge allowed the winner to present his bowl of peas at a dinner. Twenty seeds and a small pot allow the students to get a head start on their gardening at home. Meanwhile, at school, they make garden journals, learn about composting and divide their garden up into three sections--roots, fruits and leaves. Narrator Maya and her friend Shakayla take the competition especially seriously, but the two have very different ideas and methods for growing their peas. Grigsby's narrative flows well and strikes a good balance among Maya's account, pea/gardening facts, the scientific method and a history lesson. Tadgell's watercolors support this, using both full-page spreads and smaller, inset illustrations of the racially diverse students and their garden, as well as some from Jefferson's day. The pea vines are appropriately twisty, while the pea blossoms exhibit their trademark paper-like texture. History, science and a guidance lesson all rolled into one, this could surely be the spark for many a school garden. (Picture book. 6-10)

School Library Journal (Wed Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2012)

Gr 1-3 Shakayla and Maya learn that this year's class garden project will be a contest to see who can plant peas and bring in the first bowl of shelled peas. The contest originated with Thomas Jefferson among his fellow Virginia farmers, and both girls have great plans to win the competition. This beautifully illustrated story has a mixture of both fiction and facts about the life cycle of peas. Readers learn how the growing process has not really changed since Jefferson's day. Vivid watercolor artwork documents it, beginning with packets of seed and proceeding to planting, watering, staking, and the crowning of the contest winner. The vibrant front and back pages summarize the progress, and an afterword tells more about Jefferson's interest in agriculture. Teachers will find a multitude of ways to use this book and this team's In the Garden with Dr. Carver (Albert Whitman, 2010). Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN