MAKING PEAS

First grader Gertie has issues with an annoying student, her school’s rules, and her old-fashioned name in this illustrated children’s book.

Clark Whittle sits down next to Gertie and calls her Gertrude, even after she tells him her preferred name, which gives her a rotten feeling about him right away. He goes on to kick her table leg and trip her in the cafeteria, goading her into throwing an apple at him, whereupon she’s taken to the principal’s office. But Gertie notes that Clark isn’t the only one causing her problems: Her teacher also calls her Gertrude, and so do her parents, who gave her the name that she hates. Gertie decides that her name will now be Diana, like Wonder Woman’s alter ego, because “nobody is mean to Wonder Woman.” Dad points out that this isn’t quite true: “people are mean to Wonder Woman all the time.” She goes on to understand that adults are sometimes unpleasant to each other, as when she hears Mom and Grandma Trudy talking loudly through her bedroom wall, arguing about the new name and perhaps something else, too. When her short-lived new name solves none of her problems, Gertie decides that she must settle the score with a duel. Can Gertie and Clark reconcile and make peace without adult intervention? Saia, the author of Little Ant and the Spider (2019), realistically depicts a literal-minded, rule-loving, conflict-prone child who’s unsettled by adult nonchalance toward her world’s frequent injustices—such as being told to read a book she doesn’t want to read and being forced to reckon with an enemy by herself. Although the specifics of this school strife (spitball-shooting bullies; disinterested, unaccommodating teachers) seem a tad dated, children facing adult indifference will find empathy here regarding their plight. Perko’s lively, loose grayscale pen-and-ink illustrations will add interest for young readers. Gertie, Clark, and Gertie’s family present as White; Gertie’s friend Janie has curly hair and darker skin.

An engaging interpersonal drama for early elementary readers.