Reviews

Peanut and Pearl, next-door neighbors and best friends, decide to go on a picnic together. Peanut packs a passel of corn cakes, and Pearl brings a plum pie. When both critters—and, since these are mammals of unreported species, we can only call them that—lead the way in opposite directions, both end up lost. While easygoing Peanut relaxes with his picnic fare, vigilant Pearl looks for her lost buddy, behind the smallest tree, behind the biggest tree and finally by the lake, where she finds Peanut wiping sleep out of his eyes. With very predictable plot and vocabulary, readable font and a humorous situation, Dotlich's latest is just what new readers need to build their confidence. Alley's comical illustrations add to the text, helping the new reader figure out any challenging words. An excellent addition to the classic I Can Read series, this is one that will be read over and over. (Easy reader. 4-6)

—Kirkus Reviews

Peanut and Pearl are two, well, let's just call them furry critters; their species is unidentifiable. What can be identified is their headgear. Peanut likes to wear cowboy hats; Pearl, floppy chapeaus. They decide to go on a picnic, and Peanut packs corn cakes, while Pearl goes with the plum pie. But when they reach their destination, Peanut gets lost--at least Pearl thinks he does. In a scenario that might be familiar to children who have also gone astray, Peanut knows full well where he is, and he is surprised that Pearl has been looking for him everywhere. This simple easy reader, part of the I Can Read series, features a clear little story of minimal words and bright, upbeat characters drawn by veteran-illustrator Alley. The publisher designates this a My First book, designed to be shared with "emergent readers."

—Ilene Cooper, Booklist