The Peanut: A Nutty Tale About Sharing

by Simon Rickerty

Inspire your mind with peanut power! This inventive picture book encourages collaboration and activates the imagination.

Is it a hat? Or a boat? Or a drum? Whatever it is, these two quirky creatures want it—and they DON’T want to share! Confusion, fun, and adventure ensue in this clever, sparsely worded picture book…all because of one little peanut.

Genres: Picture Books, Food, Childrens

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

Reviews

[Jennifer Brown]

Cute, fun story for kids. I thought this was going to be a story about learning to share, but that message isn't made clear here at all! Nutty or not, the spiders(?) don't learn anything about sharing.

[Melissa]

This might work for storytime, with the right reader.

[Joella]

Two little spider-like blob creatures (one blue and one red) find a peanut. They both decide that they want the peanut for themselves. One wants it for a hat. The other wants it for a pretend telephone. On and on it goes while the two creatures argue and fight over who should have possession of the peanut. Of course things get even trickier when a larger creature comes along and demands that the peanut is his. Then along comes an elephant. The elephant breaks the peanut shell in half and eats the peanuts inside. Then the creatures learn that sharing just might work.

This is a fun story about sharing. The two creatures seem like very good friends until they both want the same thing. The simplicity of the blobs and the background. I also really liked how the blobs are illustrated where the peanut looks more like a photograph and the elephant looks like a textured photograph/illustration. Also, the fact that the text is so simple will make it a sure hit for little ones with short attention spans for the text but love looking at all the details of the story and illustrations. Such a fun book.

[Russell]

Instead of dubbing the tale as being about sharing, let's instead focus on the amazing creative imaginations of the two colorful spider blobs. What do spider blobs know about boats and skateboards? Evidently, these understand them. And are willing to reimagine a peanut as such. Let's celebrate that instead of their forcefully inflected lesson about sharing, the blackened guts of a larger spider blob still fresh on the peanut shell fragments.

[Great Books]

Two quirky individuals meet up with their first peanut and wonder what it can be used for. Is it a hat? Or a boat? Or a drum? Whatever it is they do not feel like sharing it. Confusion, fun, and adventure ensue in this clever, sparsely worded picture book…all because of one little peanut and a big surprise ending! Reviewer 21

[Halee]

Reading Level: K
Interest Level: K-3

Two cute little creatures find a peanut, and even though they are not exactly sure what it is they both want it and they don't wan't to share! WIth big illustrations and few words, this is a great book for beginning readers.

[Elisabeth]

We don't want to share that thing...whatever it is. This book cracked me up!

[Julie]

fun!

[Kate McCartney]

In the vein of Not a Box and Not a Stick, colorful spiders(?) find a peanut and discover many unusually uses for it.

[Rayna Gausnell]

This is a fun book.

[Alice]

3 stars
So funny what is the peanut and whose is it

[Mollie B]

murder!

[Casandria]

Nutty, yes, but also very disturbing!

[Elizabeth]

reviewed May, 2014 food column

[Laura Filtness]

What a fun book to read about sharing. My kids K-5 will love it.