Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea

By Author / Illustrator

Morag Hood

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Pan Macmillan

ISBN

9781509813995

Format

Board book

Published

26-01-2017

Synopsis

Lee is a pea. All of his friends are peas; except Colin. Colin isn't a pea.

And so begins the deliciously funny story of two very different friends - a small green pea and a tall orange carrot stick. Colin the carrot can't do everything the peas can, but he has some special carrot-y qualities that make him a very good friend to have.

All about the beauty of making friends with people (or vegetables) who are different from you, boys and girls alike will love Colin and Lee's clear shapes, bright colours and the playful approach to everyday objects that make this book an instant favourite. Enjoy in this lovely and durable hardback board book.

Made using just a collage of supermarket plastic bags and painted facial expressions, Morag Hood has created a timeless picture book with unique and engaging artwork that is brimming with warmth and humour. With the bold simplicity of Herve Tullet or Dick Bruna's Miffy, and a dry wit and charm all of Morag's own, it is a fantastically funny story that appeals to the very youngest child - and makes adults laugh out loud.

Colin and Lee, Carrot and Pea is a brilliant debut from Morag Hood, runner-up in The Macmillan Prize for Illustration.

Reviews

Lee is a Pea and all of his friends are pea. Except Colin - Colin is not a pea. Here begins a story of Lee and his friend Colin who, despite being very different, are the best of friends. In fact, not only is Colin a friend to Lee the pea, but all of the other peas come to love him too. This is essentially a story of friendship, diversity and celebrating differences. Throughout the book, the reader learns about the things that make Colin different from the peas: the things that peas can do which Colin can not and the ways that Colin looks different from the peas. But then the story takes a turn and the reader sees the many special things that Colin can do; these help the peas and make things more fun for them. Colin is a great friend and, by the end of the story, he has made friends with all of the peas, not just Lee. The story will open up a wealth of conversation about friendships, valuing differences and living in a diverse world. The message within is incredibly important, yet has been made accessible to all. Words are selected carefully to enhance the message. With one sentence on each page, information is gradually added to share the differences between Colin and Lee. In addition, the title and names of the characters can start young children exploring rhyme and alliteration; Colin the Carrot and Lee the Pea. The illustrations that accompany this story are vibrant. Simple shapes with clean lines and bold, block colours, bounce off the page. The illustration, though basic, are filled with humour and through simple dot eyes and line mouths, the vegetables are given an array of expressions. 'Colin isn't very good at playing hide-and-seek,' shows a rather bemused looking Colin lying in a sea of Pea - he does stand out rather! This wonderfully simple book, in very limited words, shares such a positive message about embracing differences and building friendships. This story is a must for bookshelves in classrooms and homes. You will never look at vegetables the same way again! Picture book / Ages 3+ / Reviewed by Torie Walton, teacher.