Reviewed by Teri Takle
Pebbles and the Biggest Number is a children’s book about Pebbles, a butterfly, and his adventures.
Pebbles counts the flowers in the garden daily. Life gets boring when you only get to count small numbers. After counting his eyes, wings, legs, and all the flowers visited, Pebbles realizes that there are many more numbers and things to learn as he sets off on an adventure to discover enormous numbers. Purchase Here.
As Pebble’s explorations begin, he discovers a different environment on every page, introducing a related vocabulary word for the new habitat along with connected facts, an animal, and always referring to some large number.
Pebbles and the Biggest Number is an excellent STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) book for young readers, ideally aged 4-8, or for students with special needs. The colorful pop-up bubbles on each page contain facts that can quickly be learned, helping developing readers become independent readers.
The various habitats and settings are colorfully and richly illustrated, and every page has text bubbles that perfectly match the pictures. This compact 27-page gem travels from a flower garden to a desert, a tropical rainforest, a beach, an ocean, the mountains, a science lab, and space. Each page is bright, engaging and inviting; speech bubbles are filled with text appropriate to the setting and involve large numbers.
What is most impressive is the vocabulary is not limited to young children. Words such as atoms, lifespan, tsunami, population, bacteria, and many more, as well as the concept of infinity, are all discussed.
This STEM book is perfect for young readers. Every page has a centralized theme with science and numbers surrounding the words. The vocabulary selected perfectly matches the pictures and compliments the setting.
What is truly unique about this small book is how engaging and exciting it is for readers of all ages. I was engrossed with every page, not even realizing that I was learning as I read.
What stands out is the usage of large numbers appropriately into every-day life discussions.
The author, Joey Benun, decided to write this book after discussing big numbers with his nieces and nephews, making it his first published children’s book. The author also included his contact information, inviting the lessons learned from the book to continue with a possible letter-writing experience for him.
Laura Watson illustrates many books with her love of color using a digital platform that looks hand-painted. Their collaboration makes Pebbles and the Biggest Number a compact science gem in just 27 pages.