Pea Blossom

Pea Blossom

From School Library JournalStarred Review. Grade 1-3-Poole has taken Hans Christian Andersen's "Five Peas from One Pod" and pared down the text, eliminating the religious overtones but retaining the humor and poignancy of the original. Five peas sit dreaming in their pod in a small garden outside the city of Bejing. The first four make grandiose plans, anticipating flights to the sun or moon, or dining with the emperor. The fifth and smallest pea is content to wait and see. When the pod is cracked open and a boy with a peashooter sends the peas flying in different directions, the first four meet disastrous ends, but the fifth lands in moss on a window ledge. When it sprouts and flowers, it brings first hope and eventually health to a sick child. Andersen's recurrent themes of disdain for the pretentious and the presence of the noble within the simple shine through. Poole's luminous ink-and-gouache illustrations on rice paper reflect both her training in traditional Chinese techniques and her own creative spark. The result is paintings that are both graceful and intricate, with animals nestled below ground and in trees for the observant to discover. An informative author's note completes this worthy addition to the picture-book shelves.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJAs the other peas in the bunch travel to distance lands and exotic places, the smallest pea goes on a journey to help improve the lives of a needy mother and daughter, in a unique retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale.From BooklistK-Gr. 2. In this lovely retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Pea Blossom," five little peas wait impatiently in the sun to ripen. The first four peas have grand aspirations--one wishes to dine with the emperor; another plans to visit the moon--but the fifth and last little pea declares, "I shall go wherever it is that I am meant to." The fifth pea's destiny is to land on the windowsill of a gravely ill young girl, where it sprouts into a beautiful, blooming plant that brings about miraculous healing: "As the peas grew fat in their pods, so did the girl thrive and become healthy again." Choosing to set her version in Beijing, China, Poole illustrates her simple, elegant prose with watercolors on rice paper that are clearly reminiscent of Chinese paintings. The delicate, graceful scenes are imbued with just the right touch of whimsy; children will particularly enjoy the expressive faces of the anthropomorphic peas. A poignant read-aloud that will enhance any folktale collection. Jennifer LockeCopyright