Landry's (The Snow Ghosts
) sprightly story introduces an imaginative—and clearly not ravenous—towheaded toddler whose mother drops a spoonful of peas on her high-chair tray. As the child watches the diminutive veggies roll, they sprout arms, legs and smiley faces and proceed to form a pyramid. A spotlight shines on a pea wearing a top hat, who presents "the amazing, stupendous Tender Tiny Peas!" Jumpin' Dave does a high dive into Ivy Louise's drinking cup, another pea with comically bulging arm muscles lifts a barbell and several others demonstrate pea-upon-pea balancing acts, performed by "those super-snappy, roly-poly acrobats." When the ringmaster announces the tiny beings' exit, guess who obliges? But contrary to some youngsters' expectation that she will actually swallow these affable entertainers, the gal finds another way to help them offstage. With well-balanced servings of minimal, snappy text and spare watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, Landry serves up an appetizing sliver of a tale, which parents will hope does not plant ideas in youngsters' heads. Ages 2-6. (May)
