Review: The Pea in Peanut Butter by Allyn M. Stotz

Author: Allyn M. Stotz

Illustrator: Valerie Bouthyette

Genre: Children's Picture Book,

Publisher: Future Word

Format: Review Copy

Source: Author

Purchase: Indie Bound

I made a decision to be more open to reviewing children's books this year. My son is getting older. We are "reading" a lot more and I am always on the look out for stories that have a good message.

Anything having to do with food and eating more fruits and vegetables is always top on my list. My son, like the young girl in this story, believes that everything green is yucky. Where he got this I have no idea. I think they come programmed that way!

We try everything and anything to get him to eat veggies and like most things with a four year old, it's a back and forth battle filled with compromise and some blackmailing. :)

Also like the young lady, Kailee, in this story, my son is obsessed with certain foods. I loved that this little gal loved peanut butter so much that she dreamed about putting in on everything. Very relatable as a parent with a young child.

The gist of the story is this little gal only wants to eat peanut butter and one night, with her grumbling tummy, she sneaks into the pantry to snack on some ol' pb. Well, she enters a dream like musical number where the food in the pantry convince her that green is not bad.

I particularly liked the little food song they sang;

"A color has no taste.

Avoiding it's a waste.

All colors need a chance.

To do the food yum...yummy dance!"

Kids respond to songs and one that has a good message like this is even better. My son certainly got a honk out of it. Is he eating tons of veggies? No, not yet. But having a little tune like this to pull out certainly doesn't hurt!

So in this fun, she comes to find out that other foods, NOT just peanut butter are pretty darn good.

Rating: Recommend

The edition I reviewed came with a coloring book which is a fun add on. It's a cute story with a good message. As a mom, that's what I look for. The illustrations are pretty simple yet colorful. If you have a young one in your life between the ages of 2-6, this would be a silly read to bring the topic of eating well into a new light.

Author's Blog:

Allyn's Blog

Happy Reading and as always, thanks for stopping by!

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