Book of the Week--The Pea Blossom by Amy Lowry Poole, retel
RSSFrom SLJ March 2005 (Starred Review)
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ -- School Library Journal, 03/14/2005
POOLE, Amy Lowry, retel. The Pea Blossom. illus. by retel. unpaged. CIP. Holiday House. Mar. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1864-2. LC 2003067544.
Gr 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.
