THE PEA BLOSSOM

Poole gives her retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s story of five peas in a pod an Eastern flavor by setting it in “a small garden near the great city of Beijing.” Waiting in their shell, the five peas dream of the future. First pea wants to fly to the sun to “dance with the raven who rules the day.” Second pea hopes to fly to the moon and “dance with the toad who rules the night.” Third and fourth peas want to dine with the emperor in his palace. Ironically, all four peas get their wishes. Content to go where destiny sends him, fifth pea lands on the windowsill of a house where a poor woman lives with her sick daughter. Here he philosophically takes root, grows and blossoms, inspiring the sick girl to health. Poole successfully repackages Andersen’s familiar tale of transformation by adding bits of Chinese mythology as well as ink, gouache and rice-paper illustrations whose delicate lines and muted earth tones evoke Chinese scroll paintings. First class. (author’s note) (Picture book. 4-8)