Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

After an alphabetical, rhyming tour de force (LMNO Peas, 2010), Baker's energetic pea pack is back--this time, to count by ones and 10s. Baker sidesteps the trickiness of rhyming the numerals by selecting a repeating word for each short verse. "ONE pea searching--look, look, look, / TWO peas fishing--hook, hook, hook." Those numerals rise sky-high (to peas, at least) to dominate the digitally composed visuals, often serving as props for the frenzy of vegetative activity. At "TEN peas building--pound, pound, pound," the peas erect a wooden platform around the numeral--mainly, it would seem, as an excuse for exuberantly hammering dozens of nails. Baker circumvents those oft-pesky 'teens in one deft double-page spread: "Eleven to nineteen--skip, skip, skip!" Then it's a double-page spread per decade, with peas traveling, napping, watching fireworks and more. "SEVENTY peas singing" provide a bevy of details to spy: A fab foursome (the Peatles) rocks out above a chorus and director. Nearby, a barbershop quartet, a Wagnerian soloist, a showering pea and a dancing "Peayoncé" add to the fun. Whether they're counting scores of peas, enjoying the rhymes and puns or relishing the funny visual quirks, families are sure to devour Baker's latest winner. Totally ap-pea-ling! (Picture book. 3-7)

ALA Booklist

A welcome companion to Baker's alphabet book, LMNO Peas (2010), this counting book features a large cast of the same odd but charming little characters: green peas with skinny arms and legs, occasional footwear or headgear, and abundant energy. The spacious format supports a series of well-composed double-page spreads in which huge numerals in vibrant colors and patterns stand out brilliantly against the white backgrounds used in most pictures. Meanwhile, the little peas scurry about, illustrating phrases in the rhymed couplets that unite the scenes, such as "FIVE peas painting ush, brush, brush, / SIX peas traveling sh, rush, rush. / SEVEN peas jumping lash, splash, splash! / EIGHT peas racing sh, dash, dash." After the first 10 numbers, the little pea folks skip (literally, with jump ropes) quickly through the numbers 11 to 19, and a new pattern begins: counting by 10s up to 100. Children will enjoy finding the right number of characters in each scene in this inviting introduction to counting.

Horn Book

In this inevitable follow-up to Baker's successful LMNO Peas, the little legumes cavort on or around giant numerals corresponding with their increasing-by-the-page numbers. Basic rhymes describe the jovial peas' activities ("Nine peas dancing--round, round, round, / Ten peas building--pound, pound, pound"); the illustrations are memorable and amusing (four bewigged "Peatles" rock out for "Seventy peas singing--la, la, la").

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

After an alphabetical, rhyming tour de force (LMNO Peas, 2010), Baker's energetic pea pack is back--this time, to count by ones and 10s. Baker sidesteps the trickiness of rhyming the numerals by selecting a repeating word for each short verse. "ONE pea searching--look, look, look, / TWO peas fishing--hook, hook, hook." Those numerals rise sky-high (to peas, at least) to dominate the digitally composed visuals, often serving as props for the frenzy of vegetative activity. At "TEN peas building--pound, pound, pound," the peas erect a wooden platform around the numeral--mainly, it would seem, as an excuse for exuberantly hammering dozens of nails. Baker circumvents those oft-pesky 'teens in one deft double-page spread: "Eleven to nineteen--skip, skip, skip!" Then it's a double-page spread per decade, with peas traveling, napping, watching fireworks and more. "SEVENTY peas singing" provide a bevy of details to spy: A fab foursome (the Peatles) rocks out above a chorus and director. Nearby, a barbershop quartet, a Wagnerian soloist, a showering pea and a dancing "Peayoncé" add to the fun. Whether they're counting scores of peas, enjoying the rhymes and puns or relishing the funny visual quirks, families are sure to devour Baker's latest winner. Totally ap-pea-ling! (Picture book. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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)

School Library Journal

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 singingla, 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 yonc&3;. On the other hand, 40 ("FORTY peas nappingsleep, 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