1-2-3 Peas [Hardcover]

Keith Baker (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 24, 2012 | Age Range: 3 and up

The peas are back in this counting-themed follow-up to the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas.

Meet the peas—the 1-2-3 Peas! Come along as they count from one to one hundred in this pea-filled picture book that’s packed with bright, bold numbers and playful number-themed scenes. These tiny green mathematicians will have young readers everywhere calling for more peas, please!

Editorial Reviews

Review

* “The bipedal green peas that starred in LMNO Peas return in a lively counting romp…. Baker’s energizing graphics are as joyful and fresh as in the first book, anthropomorphizing the peas in spreads that burst with personality.”

—Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2012, *STAR

* “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…. 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!”

—Kirkus Reviews, May 30, 2012, *STAR

“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…children will enjoy returning time and again to discover the visual surprises or humorous touches hidden in the book’s pages.”

—School Library Journal, July 2012

“Baker’s follow-up to “LMNO Peas” features that book’s clever and amiable concept, which can be summarized thus: peas are cute. They are cute when one of them holds a telescope, and they are cute when two of them go fishing or three of them paddle rowboats, one wearing a ponytail, another in a baseball cap. They are especially fetching when wearing tutus and spinning like whirling dervishes. Children will coo at them in hammocks. They will appreciate their attempts to put together a 50-piece puzzle. They will like everything about peas—as long as they don’t have to eat them.” (The New York Times Book Review, August 2012)

“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…. Children will enjoy finding the right number of characters in each scene in this inviting introduction to counting.”

—Booklist Online, August 8, 2012

“In this companion to L-M-N-O Peas, the wildly animated crew of peas takes a numerical jaunt from 1 to 100…. The crisply metric text makes this as much fun to read as it is to pore over, and it’s a whole lot of fun to pore over…the numeral is treated as a physical element in the pea-rich vignettes for the little veggie participants to fish off of, drive around, or build on. The highly detailed activities of said peas are definitely worth a closer look (Peayoncé can be found crooning on the “Seventy peas singing” page).While little listeners will appreciate the story, they will especially enjoy the opportunity to take a closer look when storytime is through.”

--BCCB, October 2012

"Counting never looked as fun as it does in 1-2-3 Peas.... The tiny, busy peas are a hoot, driving, flying, biking around giant numerals on each colorful spread." (San Francisco Chronicle)

About the Author

Keith Baker has written and illustrated many acclaimed picture books for young children, including LMNO Peas, No Two Alike, Big Fat Hen, Who Is the Beast?, and Potato Joe. He lives in Seattle, and you can visit him at keithbakerbooks.com. 

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Beach Lane Books (July 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442445513
• ISBN-13: 978-1442445512
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #88,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Personal Hygiene

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The peas are back! July 24, 2012

By J. Prather TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Those energetic peas that we first met in LMNO Peas are back and busier than ever. In this colorful counting book, they are searching, fishing, rowing, brushing, and growing. They are rushing about and splashing, dashing and dancing! Each number 1 through 10 is large and surrounded by our tiny pea friends who are busy about their activities. Kids will love finding all the peas and studying their faces and actions. Can you find all seven peas in the swimming pool with the giant number 7? This spread featuring the 6 and 7 is the only one that might get a bit confusing, as part of 7's swimming pool intrudes on 6's page and kids could get confused as to whether that one pea belongs with the 6 or the 7. Other than that one occurrence, each number has its very own well defined set of peas to count.

When we get to numbers 11 through 19, they appear in sort of a blur along with three peas skipping rope. The text reads "Eleven to nineteen - skip,skip,skip!" Perhaps because we are "skipping" these numbers? I was really kind of sad that we weren't going to see more peas for these numbers, but was then relieved to see the next page featuring our beloved peas cutting out a giant number 20. We then start counting by tens, all the way to 100, which has to be one of the cutest illustrations in all of picture books. This next to last spread features 100 smiling peas sitting in a giant number 100, waving pennants featuring their own number. Classic. The book ends on a call to action, asking the reader to "Please count again with us!" I'm sure these peas will have plenty of takers.

As a counting book, this is a great choice to add to any toddler or preschooler's personal collection.... The colorful text, the charming peas, the huge numbers, and even the emphasis on including the large font number word on each page all ensure tons of fun and lots of learning. So, I was a bit disappointed in the 11 through 19 range, but you just can't look at these wonderful illustrations and not smile. What a fantastic way to reinforce the fact that numbers can be fun! Do you think maybe colorful peas will come next? This author/illustrator has set the bar high for early learning/concept books. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Cute little peas..but incomplete counting September 24, 2012

By M. Buehl VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

My 3.5yr old enjoys looking at the illustrations and what the little peas are doing. She tends to focus on them vs. the fact that there are numbers on the pages and that we're counting.
I do not care for the fact that they count up to 20 and then switch to counting by tens up to 100. So, from ...17,18,19,20 right to 20,40,50,60... I think this is a tad confusing for young children to grasp.
This book seems more suited to a board book for the very young vs. the large hardcover paper paged book it is.
There are SO many counting books out there to choose from, I'd pass on this one.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Disappointed in This Number Book...Leaves a Lot To Be Desired September 20, 2012

By booklover1335 for "Seductive Musings" VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I was super excited when I read the description of this book when I first read it that it focused on counting from 1-100. Many books only cover 1-10, or maybe slightly higher if you are lucky. But before I ordered it I checkout out the images inside, and was pleasantly surprised. I liked the imagery and pea characters. Couldn't wait to get it.

My first inkling that it wasn't going to be exactly as I had expected is that the first several pages each focus on one or two numbers, and by the time I got to 10 I was worried because the book didn't have enough pages to continue as it had as the numbers got higher. So after spending so much page time with 1-10 I was somewhat disappointed when two side by side pages featured numbers 11-19. Not ideal, but at least it illustrated every number. Then we get to 20, and I was hopeful that it would reinforce how the numbers repeat as they get higher, but unfortunately that is not the case. Each page after that skipped by 10's (20, 30, 40....). Now, I would have been OK with that if each page with the 10 # on it also had all of the numbers that led up to it somehow illustrated with it. (ie 21, 22, 23...), but it didn't. And for a child just learning to count beyond 10 it was somewhat confusing because it gives the impression that once you get to 20, to count to 100 you just count by 10's.

I know that you will be reading this book to your child, but kids are visual learners, so while you can explain that in order to get from 20 to 30 that you have to count the other numbers in between the book doesn't address this at all. Counting books from 1-10 are a dime a dozen, but to get a book that will help you teach counting 1-100 is very hard to find...at least ones that are fun.... So while I had high hopes for this book, I think it is a very big disappointment. The peas are cute, the illustrations are cute, the words are cute and use repetition which I also love, but it doesn't do it's job with helping to teach 1-100. I'm not saying that there needed to be a page for each #, I just would have liked it to illustrate the pattern in counting after 10...that and the book didn't even include the number zero.

If you are a fan of this author, then you might like it, but if you are looking for a book about counting I don't know that I would necessarily recommend this one. I am giving it three stars instead of 2 simply for the illustrations. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and fun, for toddlers and pre-schoolers September 15, 2012

By James Korsmo VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This entertaining little book is a gem. It is built upon very simple text that marches through the numbers, one through ten, with a quick stop on the teens, and then marching by tens up to one hundred. But this simple text provides a solid foundation: it teaches numbers, which is pretty obvious, but also introduces lots of action and connects it with repeated sound/action. For instance, "ten peas building--pound, pound, pound." So my toddler can enjoy pounding along with the story, all the while learning the succession of numbers and also what "building" is. But along with this well-done text is a series of entertaining and rather intricate illustrations of peas. In the example already cited, ten peas are pictured building an elaborate structure around a large number ten, with lots of action and some whimsy. There is a ton for your kids to discover in these colorful images (such as finding the ladybug that hides on every page). My kids really enjoy this one, and I do too. It's fun and well done.