Carrot and Pea: An Unlikely Friendship

Newcomer Hood tells a story about differences with bright colors and quiet humor. Lee and his friends are peas—round, green, slightly wrinkly cutouts. Colin is a carrot stick, tall and orange. (His shaded sides give him handsome sculptural qualities.) Hood lists Colin’s deficits from a pea’s point of view. “He can’t roll,” she writes as happy peas roll across a thin line on a white spread; Colin lies immobile on his side, looking sad. “And he isn’t very good at hide-and-seek” shows Colin amid dozens and dozens of peas; he stands out instantly, of course. Then Hood turns to Colin’s strengths: “He’s an excellent tower, a fantastic bridge, and a great slide.” “Colin isn’t at all like Lee and the other peas,” Hood concludes. “And that’s just the way they like it.” By using shapes instead of human characters, the story’s focus stays on objective qualities rather than temperaments or personalities. Hood’s message will be clear to even the youngest readers, and the book is especially suitable for discussions about abilities and challenges. Ages 4–7. [em] (Apr.) [/em]