Grade 1-2-Packard and Murdocca have joined forces to explain and illustrate big numbers to children. The result is a vibrant, oversized book featuring two kids and a dog and cat that always have something to say. Beginning with a single pea on a plate to illustrate "one," the book moves to 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 peas, etc. The green pile continues to grow on the plate, spilling over the tabletop, out the door, across the yard, and, ultimately, into a huge mountain of a quadrillion peas. The visual impact is comical and impressive, clearly conveying the idea of large sums. Additional information, in the form of dialogue balloons and insets, can be confusing, as can the illustrations of fleas, sand, mice, and ladybugs used to emphasize distance and size.
