Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee
by Jason Akley
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jason AkleyEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-02-28
ISBN: 1432703412
Number of pages: 36
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Publisher: Outskirts Press
Book Reviews of Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee
Book Review: Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee
Summary: 3 Stars
When I picked up Jason Akley's Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee I couldn't help wondering about the ambiguity of the book's target audience, as the language and concepts are certainly not accessible to the 9-12 year old age group, where it has been classified by Amazon.
Furthermore, the characters are not memorable nor do they jump off the page in a way that enters the hearts of young readers-something that is essential in writing a book addressed to children.
Akley may have been on the right track when he employed word play and rhyming as it is obviously exciting to read and even more fun to write. Children delight in poetry and music, however, he forgot that writing a children's book requires minimalism, appropriate word choice, and an understanding as to how to hook and maintain the interest of the young reader.
Moreover, it is crucial, when authoring children's books, to have a full grasp as to what children in this age group like and don't like, what they can seize and what they are likely to rebuff. And if you are going to use poetry, you must not sacrifice the story for the sake of the rhyme. In other words, don't be sparing with the plot and the development of character by throwing in extra words just to make the rhyme work. The key to always bear in mind is that the story must come first; the rhyme secondary. Unfortunately, Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee ignored all of these important ingredients and the result was something way off the mark.
Having said all this, I decided to go one step further and find out what was Akley actually thinking when he wrote Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee. And as it turns out, Akley agreed with me that it is misleading to consider Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee a children's book, for as he stated, "it was his intention to write a children's story for adults, especially parents. I wanted to write something thought-provoking for parents to read to their children." Unfortunately, this was entirely disregarded in a preface that should have been included or on the book's back cover.
The heart of Sweet Pea and the Bumblebee focuses on two characters, the innocent Sweet Pea and the sage Bumblebee. Using these characters, Akley embraces in a most creative way the meaning of life and the role we play in our universe.
From the moment Sweet Pea is born and grows up she begins to question her existence. What is she? What is her life? To what purpose has she been placed on this earth? And just as she ponders these questions, Bumblebee appears in order to teach her to number her days and direct her to a heart of wisdom.
From here various philosophical questions are explored, for as pointed out, Sweet Pea has an open mind, she likes to ask questions and is receptive to suggestions.
Akley skillfully examines various themes that we should penetrate beneath their appearances and try seeking a deeper meaning such as social and environmental orders, fate, knowing thyself, time and space, love, order and chaos, choices we make, the brevity of life, the meaning of death, and other topics that will teach us that we are mere guests in this world and our time is precious.
Generously interspersed among the pages are the expressive beautiful images of Bobbi Switzer that have a lovely charm and playfulness. The book is beautifully designed with emphatic drawings of both Sweet Pea and Bumblebee with their bright colors contrasting against the snowy white pages of the story.
In the end, if we were to consider this an adult book with its sophisticated vocabulary and concepts, I would have to admit that it does have some merit in providing food for thought for possible philosophical discussions with children who are more sophisticated and who would probably be well into their teens.
Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures
Children's Books
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