Roll, Roll, Little Pea

Cécile Bergame is a storyteller, actress, and director of the Café-Crème children's performance company. She was nurtured from a very young age by unusual and fanciful family stories. She quickly realized that words. music, and stories could give her the gift of travel. She has been all over France performing and lending her warm and sweet voice to the tradition of oral storytelling. Illustrator, Magali Attiogbé was born in Atakpamé in Togo, but moved to France at the age of 3. All through her life she has enjoyed painting and sculpture, and in 2002 she obtained a diploma in illustration from the Estienne school in Paris. Since then, she has worked on a variety of  projects such as posters, books, and toys. Translator, Angus Yuen-Killick is the founder and publisher of Red Comet Press. Originally from the UK, he now lives and work in brownstone Brooklyn, New York.

– A New York Public Library Best Book for Kids, 2023“This sweet and tender tale opens with a brown-skinned child shelling peas into a bowl. Bergame’s story is full of repetition, patterned action-filled sentences, and memorable vocabulary. Attiogbé’s slightly retro palette and flat, graphic illustration style give the book a timeless feel that calls to mind the works of Dahlia Ipcar and Ed Emberley. . . a visually appealing and dynamic offering.” –The Horn Book"A sneaky plant life-cycle story for the youngest set. The repeated refrain “ROLL, ROLL, LITTLE PEA” makes the tale roll along as merrily as the little pea itself. Bold graphic designs with thick accent lines are visually arresting."–Kirkus Reviews"Young children will enjoy seeing a renegade pea as it escapes from the clutches of a little girl and rolls off into the world.  . . . Readers ages 3-6 will enjoy chanting "roll, roll, little pea!" until the exciting moment when the pea reaches the garden and vanished into the earth. Come spring, of course, there will be new peas for the little girl to find."–The Wall Street Journal"Filled with incredible, vibrant colors and hues, the words on these pages are delightful. Once the pea has made its escape the text reads something like, “Roll Roll, Little Pea, along the floor and under the stairs”, (always changing where it heads) and on the opposite page is some kind of critter who would like to crunch or nibble or peck or even “Devour” the pea. With pictures you can make out across a room and that steady diet of repetition, the end result is a great readaloud and stellar translation. Two thumbs up!"–Betsy Bird, Fuse#8, School Library Journal"Will the runaway pea become a snack for one of the animals it rolls by? Illustrations call to mind folk art in this rollicking translation from the French. The tale is likely to hold up to multiple readings and may inspire young gardeners!"–Reading Rockets, National Public Media"Told with repetition, predictive vocabulary, and bright colorful art, delivers a natural history lesson about plant life. Entertaining, charming, original, "Roll, Roll, Little Pea" is enthusiastically commended as an addition to family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 3-6." –Midwest Book Review