The Little Pea by Éric Battut
The Little Pea
By Éric Battut, Translation by Sophie Pauze
2011, Sky Pony Press
Review by Debra L Scott, 12/14/2011What if a pea doesn’t really want to be like all the other peas in the pod? One little pea decides he is going to be different from his patch-mates and hops down from the pod in search of his dreams. In his travels he meets all manner of friends, from flowers to peacocks to elephants, and tries to add a little of each one to himself. By the time he returns to his family in the pea patch, he is a very strange looking pea indeed! All his family and friends laugh at the peculiar pea, but then something very extraordinary happens!
By Éric Battut, Translation by Sophie Pauze
2011, Sky Pony Press
Review by Debra L Scott, 12/14/2011What if a pea doesn’t really want to be like all the other peas in the pod? One little pea decides he is going to be different from his patch-mates and hops down from the pod in search of his dreams. In his travels he meets all manner of friends, from flowers to peacocks to elephants, and tries to add a little of each one to himself. By the time he returns to his family in the pea patch, he is a very strange looking pea indeed! All his family and friends laugh at the peculiar pea, but then something very extraordinary happens!
This is a fun and simple picture book that can lead to discussions covering many topics. A child that is different from other children in some way, or a very creative child, or even a special needs child may find this interesting. Children that travel, or have emigrated from one culture to another could also find some help here. The ending can also be interpreted in several ways, as the adventurous pea leads to many more peas with similar characteristics. On one level it could be discussed about how parents influence their children, or how one person’s creativity can lead to creativity in others, or it could possibly be a good introduction to family trees, genetics, or epi-genetics.
Word Seeds 