Pea + Nut! by bestselling Australian author Matt Stanton, hits the shelves this month and it’s not to be missed. The first in a new rhyming series, little readers and their parents, grandparents, teachers etc are going to have a lot of fun reading this together.
Pea and Nut are best friends but it’s a case of opposites attract. Pea is a panda who likes her own space, is quiet, considered and calm. Nut on the other hand is a flamingo who is in your face, competitive, boastful, loud and messy.
When Nut decides to challenge Pea to a bake off, Pea isn’t going to take it lying down. Despite the confidence that Nut exudes she’s certain that she can not only win but teach him a lesson in the process!
As you can imagine there’s lots of potential for mess and baking disasters…
Matt Stanton is a talented illustrator and kids will love the calm Pea who sometimes appears in yoga poses, along with the flamingo Nut who is the most vivid of pinks and has an extraordinary ability to twist his neck in all manner of ways.
The mainly black and white illustrations with pops of bright block colour are accompanied by rhyming text that will have children reciting the story back to you and wanting it read and re-read – be prepared for this one to be on high rotation.
There are lovely details that parents will enjoy such as Pea reading a copy of The Tortoise and the Hare while quietly waiting for her cake to bake. However, the ultimate message is resoundingly clear that good friends, despite some differences and a bit of cake batter, are there for each other.
Pea + Nut! will bring you and your little reader a lot of laughs and the chance to have a chat about different personality types and unlikely friendships. There’s also the opportunity to do a bit of role play as the theatricality of the two characters lends itself to it.
The great thing is that this is the first book in a series and so there will be more to come. If you’re new to Stanton’s picture books then it’s the perfect opportunity to take a look back at his others. You can visit his website here.
While you may know Matt Stanton best for his award winning and best-selling Funny Kid series his ability to write engaging and funny stories for a wide range of ages is evident. So, what are you waiting for?
Matt Stanton is a bestselling children’s author and illustrator, with over 930,000 books sold in Australia alone. He is the co-creator of the mega-hit picture books There Is a Monster Under My Bed Who Farts and This Is a Ball. He launched his much-anticipated middle-grade series, Funny Kid, in 2017. The first book in the series, Funny Kid for President, debuted as the #1 Australian kids’ book, and Funny Kid is fast winning legions of fans around the world. He lives in Sydney with his wife, bestselling picture book creator Beck Stanton, and their three young children.
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