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Pebbles and the Biggest Number
What’s the BIGGEST number? Pebbles the butterfly wants to know! He travels the world in search of the answer, asking every animal he meets. Along the way, he must escape an earthquake, outrun an avalanche, and fly over a tsunami. Luckily, his new friends are there to lend him a hand . . . or a paw. Will Pebbles ever find the biggest number? Flutter in and find out!
48 pages, Hardcover
Published July 1, 2023
21 people are currently reading
17624 people want to read
About the author
Joey Benun
1 book142 followersJoey Benun has always thought BIG—just like the BIG numbers he loves so much. He’s been fascinated with numbers since he was five years old—the bigger, the better. A fortuitous conversation with his niece and nephews inspired him to think EVEN BIGGER and introduce children of all ages to the fun and fascination of large numbers. Thus, Pebbles and the Biggest Number was born!
Years before Pebbles took flight, nine-year-old Joey penned a comic series about a disgruntled ketchup packet. Transformed into The Ketchup Monster after being carelessly discarded, it wasn't long before his imaginative tale had both friends and teachers vying for a copy.
Currently, Joey resides in Brooklyn, New York, overseeing Amazon accounts for his family's apparel business, The Bentex Group. Outside work, he enjoys engaging in religious studies, listening to TED Talks, and playing tennis.
Years before Pebbles took flight, nine-year-old Joey penned a comic series about a disgruntled ketchup packet. Transformed into The Ketchup Monster after being carelessly discarded, it wasn't long before his imaginative tale had both friends and teachers vying for a copy.
Currently, Joey resides in Brooklyn, New York, overseeing Amazon accounts for his family's apparel business, The Bentex Group. Outside work, he enjoys engaging in religious studies, listening to TED Talks, and playing tennis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 826 reviews
December 15, 2024
Entertaining AND Educational. This is the ABSOLUTE COOLEST book for curious kiddos (and parents too)!!
We homeschool and this book is a DREAM! It is often difficult to find books that are both entertaining and educational for my 5 and 7 year old. This book NAILED it. NAILED. IT.
Let me start off by saying the illustrations and layout are attention grabbing. It kept my kids dialed in to every page turn as I read. The content is FANTASTIC. As we learn about the number sets 1,000 to 1 Nonillion (yup, that’s a new number I learned), we also learn about science AND fun facts while our little butterfly friend adventures around the world to find the biggest number. The amount of things we learned (Antarctica is a desert?!) was just wonderful. My kids had soooo many questions and were lit up like Christmas trees with wonder by the time we finished.
Absolutely will be recommending this book to all my friends with kids and every teacher I know. I’d easily say it’s for ages 4-12 give or take and would make an amazing gift for a child!
Book provided by Author in exchange for honest review and honest review it is.
We homeschool and this book is a DREAM! It is often difficult to find books that are both entertaining and educational for my 5 and 7 year old. This book NAILED it. NAILED. IT.
Let me start off by saying the illustrations and layout are attention grabbing. It kept my kids dialed in to every page turn as I read. The content is FANTASTIC. As we learn about the number sets 1,000 to 1 Nonillion (yup, that’s a new number I learned), we also learn about science AND fun facts while our little butterfly friend adventures around the world to find the biggest number. The amount of things we learned (Antarctica is a desert?!) was just wonderful. My kids had soooo many questions and were lit up like Christmas trees with wonder by the time we finished.
Absolutely will be recommending this book to all my friends with kids and every teacher I know. I’d easily say it’s for ages 4-12 give or take and would make an amazing gift for a child!
Book provided by Author in exchange for honest review and honest review it is.
March 9, 2024
*currently a goodreads giveaway going on if you fancy trying to win a print copy*
Genre ~ children's non-fiction (ages 5+)
Publication date ~ January 31, 2023
Est page Count ~ 48
We follow Pebbles, the butterfly, on his journey to find the biggest number. He visits the desert, the tropical rainforest, the beach, and a mountain.
What I loved the most:
~ that there is something to learn on every page that is specific to the area we're in and the animals interacted with, such as ~ did you know?, number note, science spot and fun facts
~ we are told and shown, as an example;
1 nonillion has 30 zeros. It looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
~ there's a glossary at the end that digs deeper into the words and numbers learned throughout the book
~ the illustrations by Laura Watson are vibrant and engaging
Unfortunately we don't see any giraffes, but since they are my favorite animal I thought I'd give you this fact I learned: While deserts get less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall each year, tropical rainforests get up to 400 inches (1,000 centimeters). That’s enough rain to cover one giraffe standing on top of another!
This is a wonderfully informative book for little ones, and it's great for adults to brush up on their math and science knowledge as well. I can see why this has been nominated for a zillion awards...by the way apparently zillion is not a word, who knew?
*Thanks to the author for sending me a copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Genre ~ children's non-fiction (ages 5+)
Publication date ~ January 31, 2023
Est page Count ~ 48
We follow Pebbles, the butterfly, on his journey to find the biggest number. He visits the desert, the tropical rainforest, the beach, and a mountain.
What I loved the most:
~ that there is something to learn on every page that is specific to the area we're in and the animals interacted with, such as ~ did you know?, number note, science spot and fun facts
~ we are told and shown, as an example;
1 nonillion has 30 zeros. It looks like this: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000
~ there's a glossary at the end that digs deeper into the words and numbers learned throughout the book
~ the illustrations by Laura Watson are vibrant and engaging
Unfortunately we don't see any giraffes, but since they are my favorite animal I thought I'd give you this fact I learned: While deserts get less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall each year, tropical rainforests get up to 400 inches (1,000 centimeters). That’s enough rain to cover one giraffe standing on top of another!
This is a wonderfully informative book for little ones, and it's great for adults to brush up on their math and science knowledge as well. I can see why this has been nominated for a zillion awards...by the way apparently zillion is not a word, who knew?
*Thanks to the author for sending me a copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
June 30, 2023
In a Nutshell: A fun way of learning about large numbers, and finding out which is the largest of them all. Educational plus entertaining.
Pebbles the butterfly likes to count things in his garden, but one day, he realises that the numbers are mostly the same. So he sets out on a journey across the world to find out what the largest number is. Through his adventures, we learn plenty of new facts.
As an adult you might know what the largest number is, but to kids, “large” is quite a vague idea, maybe represented by a vague term such as “gazillion”. (You will need to read the book to know what exactly a gazillion is! 😉) The numbers that Pebbles learns about increase incrementally, multiplying a thousand fold each time, thus going from thousand to million to billion and trillion and even further. (Do you know what’s a thousand times a trillion? 😁)
Because of Pebble’s travels, we also get to see a variety of regions, ranging from deserts to rainforests to snowy mountains. These adventures also provide interesting details about these diverse locales on our planet. In fact, there are plenty of trivia on every page, covering fun facts related not just to numbers but also about science and space and other general knowledge. These elements enhance the reading experience even more.
While the concept of large numbers is mathematical, and hence, possibly scary to little ones, the book makes sure that the mathematical details never overwhelm its little readers. There are certain big words (and big numbers), but they are explained in a way that kids will find relatively easy to comprehend. For the tougher words, there is a helpful glossary at the end.
That said, even the glossary might not make things too easy for early readers, so though the official target age group is 4-8 years, I would push it up a bit and recommend this to kids aged 6-9 years. Younger ones can also read the book but their understanding might be a tad limited.
The illustrations are really cute and colourful. While the proportion of the animals is not true to life for obvious reasons, seeing the range of animals courtesy the varied habitats adds another learning opportunity to the book.
Definitely recommended to all math-loving littlies, and even to those who are math-phobic. Who knows, this book might just help them love maths a little more!
4.5 stars.
My thanks to author Joey Benun for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Pebbles and the Biggest Number”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The book is available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Pebbles the butterfly likes to count things in his garden, but one day, he realises that the numbers are mostly the same. So he sets out on a journey across the world to find out what the largest number is. Through his adventures, we learn plenty of new facts.
As an adult you might know what the largest number is, but to kids, “large” is quite a vague idea, maybe represented by a vague term such as “gazillion”. (You will need to read the book to know what exactly a gazillion is! 😉) The numbers that Pebbles learns about increase incrementally, multiplying a thousand fold each time, thus going from thousand to million to billion and trillion and even further. (Do you know what’s a thousand times a trillion? 😁)
Because of Pebble’s travels, we also get to see a variety of regions, ranging from deserts to rainforests to snowy mountains. These adventures also provide interesting details about these diverse locales on our planet. In fact, there are plenty of trivia on every page, covering fun facts related not just to numbers but also about science and space and other general knowledge. These elements enhance the reading experience even more.
While the concept of large numbers is mathematical, and hence, possibly scary to little ones, the book makes sure that the mathematical details never overwhelm its little readers. There are certain big words (and big numbers), but they are explained in a way that kids will find relatively easy to comprehend. For the tougher words, there is a helpful glossary at the end.
That said, even the glossary might not make things too easy for early readers, so though the official target age group is 4-8 years, I would push it up a bit and recommend this to kids aged 6-9 years. Younger ones can also read the book but their understanding might be a tad limited.
The illustrations are really cute and colourful. While the proportion of the animals is not true to life for obvious reasons, seeing the range of animals courtesy the varied habitats adds another learning opportunity to the book.
Definitely recommended to all math-loving littlies, and even to those who are math-phobic. Who knows, this book might just help them love maths a little more!
4.5 stars.
My thanks to author Joey Benun for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Pebbles and the Biggest Number”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The book is available for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
July 13, 2023
What a beautiful book!
Pebbles is a butterfly who enjoys counting in the garden. Pebbles begins to wonder what the biggest number is and sets off to find out. Pebbles is inquisitive and travels far and wide in search of an answer. Along the way, Pebbles meets many animals and asks his question. While asking questions, Pebbles experiences a lot and learns many things!
This was such a wonderful book full of adventure, numbers, facts, and bright, beautiful illustrations. Pebbles introduces young readers to many animals, natural occurrences, and weather. The author provides facts on such things such as animals, earthquakes, science, and math (to name a few) in a fun and entertaining manner.
This book would work for a wide age range of children. Parents/caregivers/siblings can read this book to their young children. The illustrations and eye catching, and younger children would enjoy looking at them while parents read. Young readers could read this with assistance and children who read independently will enjoy this as well.
Entertaining, educational, and well written!
Thank you to Joey Benun who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Pebbles is a butterfly who enjoys counting in the garden. Pebbles begins to wonder what the biggest number is and sets off to find out. Pebbles is inquisitive and travels far and wide in search of an answer. Along the way, Pebbles meets many animals and asks his question. While asking questions, Pebbles experiences a lot and learns many things!
This was such a wonderful book full of adventure, numbers, facts, and bright, beautiful illustrations. Pebbles introduces young readers to many animals, natural occurrences, and weather. The author provides facts on such things such as animals, earthquakes, science, and math (to name a few) in a fun and entertaining manner.
This book would work for a wide age range of children. Parents/caregivers/siblings can read this book to their young children. The illustrations and eye catching, and younger children would enjoy looking at them while parents read. Young readers could read this with assistance and children who read independently will enjoy this as well.
Entertaining, educational, and well written!
Thank you to Joey Benun who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
July 25, 2023
4.5 Stars
Pebbles is a cutie butterfly who loves numbers. One day, he gets bored of counting the flowers in his garden and decides to explore the world to find the biggest number possible. Thus begin his adventures across a desert, tropical rainforest, beach, snow-clad mountains, an observatory, and space!
The book starts with single-digit numbers and ends with infinity. The journey is long, adventurous, exciting, and filled with facts. I’m no math geek (though I enjoyed calculus during my teen days), and I still loved the book for its content. Everything in the book is about numbers and scientific facts. This combo works great to teach kids about nature, science, and simple math all at once.
We also get to experience different regions, weather conditions, and natural calamities. From a thunderstorm to an avalanche, the book has it all. And the best part is that the trivia or the math doesn’t get overwhelming. Of course, you can always read the book over a few days and tackle 2-3 pages a day. Subtle and cheeky humor is seamlessly woven into the content. Those were my favorite bits.
I love how the metrics are presented in both scales (Celsius & Fahrenheit, Miles & Kilometers, Pounds, Kilograms, & Cups). This makes the book reader-friendly. However, the biggest number is presented only in the American numerical system. Makes sense with all those zeros as we reach octillion and nonillion (not telling you how many zeros these have!).
I read kiddo books mainly for the illustrations (it’s an open secret). The illustrations in this one are vibrant, bright, colorful, and appealing. The animals, birds, and insects have cute expressions and detailing. The sizes are off, which is necessary since Pebbles is a butterfly. The book ends with a glossary and a summary of the numbers with grains of sand as the measurement scale.
To summarize, Pebbles and the Biggest Number is a cute, informative, and highly useful book to help kids like math a little more and make it enjoyable. I wish it had a small activities section, but you can come up with something based on the content.
ETA: The author provided activities on his website. Here's the link: https://biggestnumber.com/resources/
My thanks to the author Joey Benun for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
Pebbles is a cutie butterfly who loves numbers. One day, he gets bored of counting the flowers in his garden and decides to explore the world to find the biggest number possible. Thus begin his adventures across a desert, tropical rainforest, beach, snow-clad mountains, an observatory, and space!
The book starts with single-digit numbers and ends with infinity. The journey is long, adventurous, exciting, and filled with facts. I’m no math geek (though I enjoyed calculus during my teen days), and I still loved the book for its content. Everything in the book is about numbers and scientific facts. This combo works great to teach kids about nature, science, and simple math all at once.
We also get to experience different regions, weather conditions, and natural calamities. From a thunderstorm to an avalanche, the book has it all. And the best part is that the trivia or the math doesn’t get overwhelming. Of course, you can always read the book over a few days and tackle 2-3 pages a day. Subtle and cheeky humor is seamlessly woven into the content. Those were my favorite bits.
I love how the metrics are presented in both scales (Celsius & Fahrenheit, Miles & Kilometers, Pounds, Kilograms, & Cups). This makes the book reader-friendly. However, the biggest number is presented only in the American numerical system. Makes sense with all those zeros as we reach octillion and nonillion (not telling you how many zeros these have!).
I read kiddo books mainly for the illustrations (it’s an open secret). The illustrations in this one are vibrant, bright, colorful, and appealing. The animals, birds, and insects have cute expressions and detailing. The sizes are off, which is necessary since Pebbles is a butterfly. The book ends with a glossary and a summary of the numbers with grains of sand as the measurement scale.
To summarize, Pebbles and the Biggest Number is a cute, informative, and highly useful book to help kids like math a little more and make it enjoyable. I wish it had a small activities section, but you can come up with something based on the content.
ETA: The author provided activities on his website. Here's the link: https://biggestnumber.com/resources/
My thanks to the author Joey Benun for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
August 31, 2023
As most of my friends here know, I love children's books, even those for really little kids. I usually look for ones that are bright and colourful (or say a lot by being the opposite) but also teach their readers about the world. This is one such book.
Pebbles is a little butterfly who one day wonders what the biggest number is. Thus, he goes in search of the answer, meeting all sorts of animals in all kinds of habitats and learning a host of interesting facts.
Along the way, the readers not only learn about numbers, but about Earth, its fauna and flora and some pretty hilarious context to some facts (yes, I AM glad my feet can't smell like a butterfly's, thank you). ;P
The whimsical full-page colour illustrations are the icing on the cake, so to speak, as they are not only fun and bright but also very cute and endearing. Here are a few examples:
I have to admit that the fun facts and science notes where facts are put into context and explained by using comparisons were my favorite part. Though the rest was very cool, too. An absolute must on any kid's shelf.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this enchanting children's book from the author via GR. However, that in no way influenced my rating.
Pebbles is a little butterfly who one day wonders what the biggest number is. Thus, he goes in search of the answer, meeting all sorts of animals in all kinds of habitats and learning a host of interesting facts.
Along the way, the readers not only learn about numbers, but about Earth, its fauna and flora and some pretty hilarious context to some facts (yes, I AM glad my feet can't smell like a butterfly's, thank you). ;P
The whimsical full-page colour illustrations are the icing on the cake, so to speak, as they are not only fun and bright but also very cute and endearing. Here are a few examples:
I have to admit that the fun facts and science notes where facts are put into context and explained by using comparisons were my favorite part. Though the rest was very cool, too. An absolute must on any kid's shelf.
Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this enchanting children's book from the author via GR. However, that in no way influenced my rating.
October 12, 2023
I received a gifted copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via the author.
Pebbles and the Largest Number is one of the best educational resources I've come across for children who love learning new things. This book is both fun and educational. The story and illustrations capture you from page one, and the facts are so interesting I myself couldn't stop reading it if I tried. There's some fun facts too, which made us giggle. Pebbles, the butterfly is bored after realising there's the same small numbers of things in the garden and sets out to find out what the biggest number is. We meet a host of other animals and learn facts about them, the weather, space, and the earth alongside numbers. My copy came in a boxed gift pack which was really fun to use alongside the book too.
The book has a glossary to explain unfamiliar words to the reader and also a chart to put in perspective the size of the numbers mentioned in the story.
This would be an amazing classroom resource for any inquisitive or fact loving child!
Pebbles and the Largest Number is one of the best educational resources I've come across for children who love learning new things. This book is both fun and educational. The story and illustrations capture you from page one, and the facts are so interesting I myself couldn't stop reading it if I tried. There's some fun facts too, which made us giggle. Pebbles, the butterfly is bored after realising there's the same small numbers of things in the garden and sets out to find out what the biggest number is. We meet a host of other animals and learn facts about them, the weather, space, and the earth alongside numbers. My copy came in a boxed gift pack which was really fun to use alongside the book too.
The book has a glossary to explain unfamiliar words to the reader and also a chart to put in perspective the size of the numbers mentioned in the story.
This would be an amazing classroom resource for any inquisitive or fact loving child!
August 12, 2023
I got this book and when my son saw it was purple and had a butterfly, he instantly rolled his eyes. On the FIRST page of reading, he changed his mind. This book is GREAT for the kids who love learning and fun facts! It not only teaches you about numbers, but also teaches you fun facts about animals, the earth, weather and even space! My son was SO intrigued to read this. He is a kid who is obsessed with random facts and always starts with "Did you know..." facts constantly throughout the day. This was RIGHTS UP HIS ALLEY! The illustrations are wonderful and great to keep younger kids engaged. Perfect for kids who love learning and telling people random facts! Once we finished reading the book, my son stated it's his new favorite book! Absolutely a MUST have for any child's bookshelf!
July 20, 2023
4.5*
Pebbles and the biggest number was a refreshing read. Im more than glad to see a childrens book with a little more context and learning ability.
Depending on the age of the child this story can be enjoyed on many different levels. From the science spot facts to the Did you know sections(which i loved) this makes for a very informative and enjoyable read.
This might be slightly tougher on a younger reader and i would have guessed from 6yrs onwards.
This still provides a great introduction to subjects that will help spark interest and education for younger age. It just gives that little bit of an extra push.
But this is fun reading all the same! We are learning big numbers and meeting fascinating different characters along the way. It has a cute element of friendship and inquisitiveness. The only thing i would say(the reason i gave less than 5*) was that i felt it was a little longer than i would prefer for the reading age. This would have been great split into two books. More digestible parts. The illustrations were great depending what age this is more aimed towards. Slightly older style would be great also.
Thank you Joey Benun for a copy of this fabulous book. We are told of your story regarding a disgruntled ketchup packet in your info section🤔 Hopefully this interesting story makes its way to print in the future! You have our attention!
Pebbles and the biggest number was a refreshing read. Im more than glad to see a childrens book with a little more context and learning ability.
Depending on the age of the child this story can be enjoyed on many different levels. From the science spot facts to the Did you know sections(which i loved) this makes for a very informative and enjoyable read.
This might be slightly tougher on a younger reader and i would have guessed from 6yrs onwards.
This still provides a great introduction to subjects that will help spark interest and education for younger age. It just gives that little bit of an extra push.
But this is fun reading all the same! We are learning big numbers and meeting fascinating different characters along the way. It has a cute element of friendship and inquisitiveness. The only thing i would say(the reason i gave less than 5*) was that i felt it was a little longer than i would prefer for the reading age. This would have been great split into two books. More digestible parts. The illustrations were great depending what age this is more aimed towards. Slightly older style would be great also.
Thank you Joey Benun for a copy of this fabulous book. We are told of your story regarding a disgruntled ketchup packet in your info section🤔 Hopefully this interesting story makes its way to print in the future! You have our attention!
August 23, 2023
Almost a five star book (but I try to be very picky about giving five stars). I read a lot of kids' books, and this 2023 release is one of the better ones I've read in quite a while. Fun, and cute. Very STEM, with math, biology, geology, even electricity! I even learned a few things!
I did get a free hardcover from the author, but my review opinion is completely my own.
Btw, I passed my copy on to a member of my local book club, a grandmother, and she says the little boy loved it.
I did get a free hardcover from the author, but my review opinion is completely my own.
Btw, I passed my copy on to a member of my local book club, a grandmother, and she says the little boy loved it.
December 27, 2022
This book is absolutely incredible, and I loved it.
It's kind of long for a kids book, with lots of words, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's very informative. If you wanted a shorter read-a-loud book, you could just read the story of Pebbles the butterfly, without reading all of the math and science facts.
This book would be great for any kid who's interested in animals, nature, math, and science. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's kind of long for a kids book, with lots of words, but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's very informative. If you wanted a shorter read-a-loud book, you could just read the story of Pebbles the butterfly, without reading all of the math and science facts.
This book would be great for any kid who's interested in animals, nature, math, and science. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 16, 2023
The illustrations in this book steal the show.
Absolutely stunning!
There is a lot of interesting facts sprinkled throughout the book along with the large numbers.
As an adult I found this interesting, but I worry it would not work out well with a child.
The actually story/concept is cute, but there are so many interruptions with the "science facts" that it doesn't really flow well.
I would still recommend this since it was informative and engaging, just not sure if it can be read in one sitting with a child.
A large thank you to Joey Benun for my PR box.
Absolutely stunning!
There is a lot of interesting facts sprinkled throughout the book along with the large numbers.
As an adult I found this interesting, but I worry it would not work out well with a child.
The actually story/concept is cute, but there are so many interruptions with the "science facts" that it doesn't really flow well.
I would still recommend this since it was informative and engaging, just not sure if it can be read in one sitting with a child.
A large thank you to Joey Benun for my PR box.
October 24, 2023
Great children’s novel! Super interesting with so many fun facts and great illustrations. Creates a lot of curiosity in children to keep learning. I would recommend to any parents with young kids!
August 7, 2024
Joey Benun’s Pebbles and the Biggest Number is one of the best literary triumphs for children I have read. Ever. The book inspires youngsters toward literacy in cross-curriculum areas for all those struggling toward reading comprehension, mathematics, science, etc.
As an aspiring author of this age group raised the bar for me because of Mr. Benun’s example. The box set including the activity and media packet is spectacular. This is not typical of books received from authors to review or patronize via online or in-store sales.
Buying a copy to be a verified reviewer on Amazon and giving a copy as a gift received the book only. Fear not for everyone excited to nab theirs, the website has lots of downloadable sheets for activities and media info received with my packet. It’s so wonderful to tell Mr. Benun I won’t shut up about this book. Ever.
My hope is this will not be a review and lesson ideas alone. But inspiration for you to spread the word. Ask your library to make Pebbles and the Biggest Number accessible. Consider gifting. Use in your homeschool community or class for educational reasons and fun including many examples. The book invites wonder in new ways beyond the story. Is a huge ingredient for any library, home, or at school.
If your class lacks funds go to YouTube or the website www.biggestnumber.com for a read-along digital version and activities for free. Having a copy for home is ideal as this will be a way for the children to explore the text and pictures many times. Sure to become a favorite cherished journey they will always remember.
Besides the obvious storyline based on the title. Quest for the biggest number. Pebbles gives other clues for how he sees the world in several random factoid blurbs named: Fun Facts, Science Spot, Number Note, and Did you know? Including sections placed throughout the story pertinent to the immediate mild stone of the journey.
Like, a character, such as an alligator within his aquatic habitat says what he thinks is the biggest number. Then, in a number note, the author creates a visual of the number size, such as one billion has six zeros and shows the number 1,000,000,000. Blurbs of extra facts, too.
This book engages me so much as a grown-up. I jumped on Youtube to have someone else read it to me, twice, for fun also. Pondering what to share paged through many times. Reread several times, too.
Is there a legal Goodreads limit for adults to engage children lit over and over toward our annual book count goal? I’m counting twice ;)
What’s remarkable is my experience is not unique. Upon scrolling reviews on many sites noticed an overwhelming theme. The impact is not unique to me. Is the consensus.
As an Amazon top 1000 reviewer globally when they had the program have experience scrolling tens of thousands of reviews and writing thousands from products to books. Mr. Benun’s triumph is by far one of the highest-rated found. What is unique, for me, about this is he is a first-time author.
Please follow Joey Benun on Goodreads and other spaces to support this rising literary star. He makes the world a better place through engaging stories that expand what it means to lifelong learning.
As a reviewer, there is so much to unpack to do the book justice for soon-to-be fans. Not only a parent who wishes to buy a fun educational tool for their child. Including a teacher who could enjoy cross-curriculum tips the homeschool parents who may allow their children to grow with this life guide that could expand beyond the immediate into new worlds. Including activities and games found on the website if fresh out of ideas.
Stay tuned for an example via a note written for a little girl at the end. I gave this for her second birthday. Inspired by Pebbles and the Biggest Number plus her daily life with cool ideas as she matures through homeschooling.
This helps me consider the possibility of ideas and lesson plans to kick-start your reasons for getting a copy or asking the library or school to get one. Personalizing your own child’s journey through their real-world experiences.
If you prefer not rummaging through to the end and need my star review immediately, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🦄
I know I know. We only do five stars on Goodreads. For Mr. Benun’s soon-to-be readers, ten stars are not enough.
Do you know what a unicorn book is? It’s a rare beast. I mean book. Creating wonder beyond measure. Okay, I made this up, but it’s true. Bonus, pun on words.
Beyond this point encounter spoilers. A retired teacher bursting at the seams with ideas. Lesson seeds and cross-curriculum tips.
My hope is as many people as possible find this inspirational work. Supporting knowledge for understanding into wisdom for lifelong learning. Thus, passing on the joy to future explorers of Pebbles' world.
Genius is the best word to describe not only the journey but the direction the seeds the book plants will inspire your children to go toward their biggest wins in life. Can begin here with Pebbles. A butterfly who encourages the metamorphosis of information through imagination to infinity and beyond.
Don’t believe the hype? See for yourself.
Back to the book.
How the journey begins, Pebbles steps into feelings of stagnation with numbers being too small. Confronts the meaning and how they relate to the world for him. Through this mirror image, he sees he has two eyes, four wings, and six legs. A seed question planted he longs to grow, “What’s the biggest number you know?”
Activity ideas to begin:
1. Ask open-ended questions.
2. Include a unit on even numbers.
3. For art, make folded paint pictures to create butterflies and assimilate the idea.
4. Work on compare, and contrast.
As a teacher recommend never limiting people by age or ability. I know a man; Oliver James is teaching himself to read as a grown-up in a very public space on social media @oliverspeaks1 using children’s books like Our Littles. No one is ever too old to experience bigger numbers of books.
Throughout Pebbles and the Biggest Number, ask big questions to stretch the child(ren)’s imaginative wonder toward answers. Have their theories. Explore possibilities.
An example of how a book can inspire confidence during growth into adulthood …
My first favorite childhood book is Andrew Henry’s Meadow. About a boy who is misunderstood for his adventurous inventive creativity. When his parents and siblings shut this down, he is not changed. Nor deterred. He found a place where he could work on ideas without distraction. Soon, many misunderstood children follow.
Everyone in town freaks upon discovering the mass disappearance. They’re all located with the help of Andrew Henry’s bloodhound in a meadow. Families accept the unique passions of their littles. This story helped me see myself as a confident explorer and feel comfortable with being different from Andrew Henry from early childhood.
For a similar reason, recommend Pebbles's provocative journey. It has a powerful impact on lifelong learning confidence, too. Whether your youngster becomes a mathematician, scientist, auto mechanic, or chef. This book invites reaching further through creative thinking, in my view for learning numbers and expanding wonder at any level and ability.
Pebbles' number curiosity evokes cross-curriculum activities with open-ended questions. Like, science or math wonder, Why do insects have an even number of body parts? How does this compare to other creatures? Humans? And so on.
Another fun fact about the story is its design to read many ways, in my view. As a story. Quest for math facts. Ways animals and insects interact. Explore ecosystems. The list goes on and on.
This amazing adventure can inspire corporate schools who do blocks on a topic including cross-curriculum. Like, Kindercare or La Petite Academy.
Extra materials and games on the website or developed through a program with activities could encourage homeschool families of different ages to work on varying topics while using the book as the community theme.
A pre-K teacher who interacted with many age groups from early preschool to fifth grade would have found this a useful regular engagement tool. Including encouraging children to create their life experience number quest.
Such as the little girl mentioned earlier who recently turned two. Lives on a farm in Panama. Where her family began with zero experience, animals, and even no coffee beans. The letter below supports expanding the book. Moving her experience from the page into real life. Isn’t this what learning is all about? To me, heck ya!
The book inspires creating a personalized curriculum as the children work within the world around them. Which is how social studies progresses for anyone who is not aware.
We begin in the womb, then crib, bedroom, house, street, city, county, state, country, continent, and world around us then outer space. The sky is the limit. For Pebbles discovers, spoiler alert, in the words of Buzz Lightyear, “to infinity and beyond”.
Another sample idea, if you live in a city ask open-ended questions including counting cars, stop lights, windows, buildings, different types of people, and so on. I’m from Brooklyn, NY like Mr. Benun. This would be how my teacher might have inspired me. Counting bagels and pizza would be my favorite.
Another hidden gem, Mr. B thought of everything. He lists a measure like a cup and shares the metric version. Why is this important? In America, we use standard measures like cups, gallons, inches, etc. But the rest of the world uses metric.
If you are an info geek like me jump on YouTube. For the answer ask, “Why does America use standard measurement and the rest of the world uses metric?” Share the story with the children for an open-ended Q&A about our globe of people. How differences in learning are a part of the world we live in. Conversations like this help young minds expand their ideas.
For younger children, this can plant seeds. For older children, this is gold to encourage curiosity about measurement. No matter what field, they decide to pursue metric is the primary tool used for both blue- and white-collar gigs.
Another reason to enjoy the book is the diverse habitats Pebbles explores. Including creatures native to the ecosystem and creatures he visits to ask, “What’s the biggest number you know?” Illustrated by Laura Watson.
A song to include for cross-curriculum exploration is Bill Oliver’s The Habitat Song. If you play guitar the chords are not difficult. Or enjoy YouTube options. Children will laugh and smile. If you wear rabbit ears over a fox hat and name yourself a fabbit as I did might get why this would invite belly laughs as we gleefully sing together. Students would chant the chorus while I’d make silly of the lyrics. This book would have guided them into exploring further as a partner to join topics and subjects using music.
How does music help Pebbles readers?
Studies have shown combining music and learning has a marked response to strengthening academically per sites like Live Strong. Notably by age five. Studies vary, but the proof was in my classroom every day for years.
Remember School House Rock classics? Besides helping myself learn as a child, taught children including my son themes such as multiplication through these lyrics to not only remember but experience numbers. Assisting Pebbles with similar results.
Habitat Song partnered with the book can help littles associate positive memories with the themes throughout the sections. These associations make memorization easier and acclimating to the exponential mathematical possibilities endless.
A recommendation when introducing, prepare for an onslaught of questions. Requiring extra time to finish. Ways to encourage curiosity. Explore beyond the quest for the biggest number.
This journey inspires many queries. Each can set the focus. Like, "Today we will read the story. Tomorrow, explore fun facts.” And so on. Beyond reading a section can have an art project ready. Paints, paper, colored pencils, and crayons. Whatever the idea be ready to direct focus to that activity as this is what we will do next.
The book is a lot to digest with many diverse sections. Reads like a comic book at times. How I tackled reading as a child struggling with literacy. This organizational style can be distracting from the primary biggest number journey.
For children who struggle with ADHD or younger learners having a plan is helpful to thwart rebellion like, ‘No I want to finish’, and not go to bed. Or transition to the next activity scheduled at school. Support these littles by giving them a structure to improve transitions.
Another favorite book involving numbers to enhance Pebbles and the Biggest Number for both children and grown-ups alike inspiring imagination is Norton Jester’s The Phantom Tollbooth. Princess’s Rhyme and Reason are locked in at the Castle in the Air. Milo, a young boy enters this strange land through a tollbooth that shows up at his house. From here, he meets a Dog named Toc that Tics, a humbug, spelling Bee, and many more strange happenstances. Including reuniting the leader of letters and words – King Azaz with his brother The Mathemagician.
This book enlarges what numbers are through an interesting cross-curriculum story to partner with Pebbles furthering the exploration of mathematics.
For some classrooms having Pebbles in the room as a stuffed toy is possible by asking on the biggest number website for a plush. Or create his image in the class using poster board or individual drawings to take part in activities.
Reminding children through tasks and referencing often throughout the year will embed the expansive ideas long term. Whether connecting Andrew Henry to having the confidence to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Pebbles gives inspiration for cross-curriculum exploration with almost any subject.
Children can learn scientific theory using steps to finding answers or what doesn’t work in route to what might toward the questions they seek with Pebbles reflecting on his journey.
The scientific method has five basic steps, plus one feedback step:
1. Observe.
2. Ask a question.
3. Form a hypothesis or testable explanation.
4. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.
5. Test the prediction.
6. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.
Let the children know they’re explorers in Pebbles’ world. Transferring to their own. Science exploration in the book leads its open-ended questions into the world. The activity letter below can assist with ideas for more cross-curriculum introspection.
At the back of the book are extras like a word glossary. This is a great place to visit before reading. Help the children understand new words. Use open-ended questions when you hit the word from the glossary within the reading. Ask, “Do you remember what this means? Can you give an example?” Engage the meaning with a few questions or help correct if they forget. This will be a steady vocab improvement.
Need more activity ideas, please visit www.biggestnumber.com for well well-thought-out exploration beyond the book. Learning with Pebbles to infinity and beyond at any age can be a key to lifelong learning adventures.
For an activity idea, use the letter below as a guidepost to create your family or student inquiry for school or home participation. Have the children add information from their personal lives or collective suggestions from the group to create a guidepost for exploration. Create open-ended questions to answer as one or in groups. Or as a family. There is great joy in learning along with Pebbles and personal experiences.
Sample edited letter idea to help create your own:
Dearest Dad and Mom,
An author bud, Joey Benun from my hometown in Brooklyn, NY asked if I’d review his first literary adventure Pebbles and the Biggest Number.
The story made me think of Sadie. Her curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy in nature with her animals, or new creatures she discovers. How much happiness she would find on this journey of homeschooling. Plus, how much you all would enjoy helping her creatively.
The topics include nature, math, science, fun facts, and beautiful pictures. Plus, there are more facts and games on the website you all may enjoy together, as a family and with friends. Though there’s no farm. This gave me an idea.
Lola’s Farm can be a springboard to more educational joy.
If you add farm animals and coffee beans could extend the story into activities related to Sadie’s world around her. And make up your book, too, that could cover other areas like art and language: writing, spelling, etc. Along with the ideas in the book for nature, math, science, and fun facts.
Questions I’m curious about, how many coffee beans does a tree produce per season? Do all varieties make the same number? How many minutes does it take to sort bugs from beans for a batch of coffee?
Sky’s the limit of how far the options go seeking the biggest number of activities Sadie can discover on her lifelong learning adventure.
For context, Sadie lives on a farm with animals in South America growing coffee. And, in Vermont she travels to visit her family’s Roastery and cafe’ in Stowe. Recently, visited 48 states in 48 days when she began reading with Pebbles. Homeschools. Enjoys reading, dancing, and gymnastics. Bakes with her mom, makes Youtube videos, and helps with farm chores like feeding her puppies. Learning two languages, Spanish and English. If you want to see Sadie on her Journey, meet her cow Moo Moo, dogs, goats, and more visit @NomadicMovement.
How you or your children find the biggest numbers in the world depends on you. Whether a city girl like I was or living rural or in suburbia. Numbers are everywhere. Time to explore, “What’s the biggest number you know?” and write the story through counting and much more, too.
Special note: Academic growth beginning with Pebbles can start as early as utero. Reading while pregnant can build relationships within the womb and encourage literacy. Supporting the ritual never starts early enough. Aspiring to infinity and beyond is the bedrock of life-long learning.
Thanks for reading the review and ideas to expand engagement with Pebbles. Hope my goal to plant seeds for forests of learning encourages you to find the biggest number of smiles each time you read as a family, class, and friends, too.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful box and book with activities, Mr. Benun. Well done Joey and Laura, the illustrator. Impressed beyond measure. See how I did that? ‘…beyond measure’.
Click like, share, and comment if so moved. This helps spread the info reaching more readers.
Kind regards, Patience #AskMissPatience
As an aspiring author of this age group raised the bar for me because of Mr. Benun’s example. The box set including the activity and media packet is spectacular. This is not typical of books received from authors to review or patronize via online or in-store sales.
Buying a copy to be a verified reviewer on Amazon and giving a copy as a gift received the book only. Fear not for everyone excited to nab theirs, the website has lots of downloadable sheets for activities and media info received with my packet. It’s so wonderful to tell Mr. Benun I won’t shut up about this book. Ever.
My hope is this will not be a review and lesson ideas alone. But inspiration for you to spread the word. Ask your library to make Pebbles and the Biggest Number accessible. Consider gifting. Use in your homeschool community or class for educational reasons and fun including many examples. The book invites wonder in new ways beyond the story. Is a huge ingredient for any library, home, or at school.
If your class lacks funds go to YouTube or the website www.biggestnumber.com for a read-along digital version and activities for free. Having a copy for home is ideal as this will be a way for the children to explore the text and pictures many times. Sure to become a favorite cherished journey they will always remember.
Besides the obvious storyline based on the title. Quest for the biggest number. Pebbles gives other clues for how he sees the world in several random factoid blurbs named: Fun Facts, Science Spot, Number Note, and Did you know? Including sections placed throughout the story pertinent to the immediate mild stone of the journey.
Like, a character, such as an alligator within his aquatic habitat says what he thinks is the biggest number. Then, in a number note, the author creates a visual of the number size, such as one billion has six zeros and shows the number 1,000,000,000. Blurbs of extra facts, too.
This book engages me so much as a grown-up. I jumped on Youtube to have someone else read it to me, twice, for fun also. Pondering what to share paged through many times. Reread several times, too.
Is there a legal Goodreads limit for adults to engage children lit over and over toward our annual book count goal? I’m counting twice ;)
What’s remarkable is my experience is not unique. Upon scrolling reviews on many sites noticed an overwhelming theme. The impact is not unique to me. Is the consensus.
As an Amazon top 1000 reviewer globally when they had the program have experience scrolling tens of thousands of reviews and writing thousands from products to books. Mr. Benun’s triumph is by far one of the highest-rated found. What is unique, for me, about this is he is a first-time author.
Please follow Joey Benun on Goodreads and other spaces to support this rising literary star. He makes the world a better place through engaging stories that expand what it means to lifelong learning.
As a reviewer, there is so much to unpack to do the book justice for soon-to-be fans. Not only a parent who wishes to buy a fun educational tool for their child. Including a teacher who could enjoy cross-curriculum tips the homeschool parents who may allow their children to grow with this life guide that could expand beyond the immediate into new worlds. Including activities and games found on the website if fresh out of ideas.
Stay tuned for an example via a note written for a little girl at the end. I gave this for her second birthday. Inspired by Pebbles and the Biggest Number plus her daily life with cool ideas as she matures through homeschooling.
This helps me consider the possibility of ideas and lesson plans to kick-start your reasons for getting a copy or asking the library or school to get one. Personalizing your own child’s journey through their real-world experiences.
If you prefer not rummaging through to the end and need my star review immediately, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🦄
I know I know. We only do five stars on Goodreads. For Mr. Benun’s soon-to-be readers, ten stars are not enough.
Do you know what a unicorn book is? It’s a rare beast. I mean book. Creating wonder beyond measure. Okay, I made this up, but it’s true. Bonus, pun on words.
Beyond this point encounter spoilers. A retired teacher bursting at the seams with ideas. Lesson seeds and cross-curriculum tips.
My hope is as many people as possible find this inspirational work. Supporting knowledge for understanding into wisdom for lifelong learning. Thus, passing on the joy to future explorers of Pebbles' world.
Genius is the best word to describe not only the journey but the direction the seeds the book plants will inspire your children to go toward their biggest wins in life. Can begin here with Pebbles. A butterfly who encourages the metamorphosis of information through imagination to infinity and beyond.
Don’t believe the hype? See for yourself.
Back to the book.
How the journey begins, Pebbles steps into feelings of stagnation with numbers being too small. Confronts the meaning and how they relate to the world for him. Through this mirror image, he sees he has two eyes, four wings, and six legs. A seed question planted he longs to grow, “What’s the biggest number you know?”
Activity ideas to begin:
1. Ask open-ended questions.
2. Include a unit on even numbers.
3. For art, make folded paint pictures to create butterflies and assimilate the idea.
4. Work on compare, and contrast.
As a teacher recommend never limiting people by age or ability. I know a man; Oliver James is teaching himself to read as a grown-up in a very public space on social media @oliverspeaks1 using children’s books like Our Littles. No one is ever too old to experience bigger numbers of books.
Throughout Pebbles and the Biggest Number, ask big questions to stretch the child(ren)’s imaginative wonder toward answers. Have their theories. Explore possibilities.
An example of how a book can inspire confidence during growth into adulthood …
My first favorite childhood book is Andrew Henry’s Meadow. About a boy who is misunderstood for his adventurous inventive creativity. When his parents and siblings shut this down, he is not changed. Nor deterred. He found a place where he could work on ideas without distraction. Soon, many misunderstood children follow.
Everyone in town freaks upon discovering the mass disappearance. They’re all located with the help of Andrew Henry’s bloodhound in a meadow. Families accept the unique passions of their littles. This story helped me see myself as a confident explorer and feel comfortable with being different from Andrew Henry from early childhood.
For a similar reason, recommend Pebbles's provocative journey. It has a powerful impact on lifelong learning confidence, too. Whether your youngster becomes a mathematician, scientist, auto mechanic, or chef. This book invites reaching further through creative thinking, in my view for learning numbers and expanding wonder at any level and ability.
Pebbles' number curiosity evokes cross-curriculum activities with open-ended questions. Like, science or math wonder, Why do insects have an even number of body parts? How does this compare to other creatures? Humans? And so on.
Another fun fact about the story is its design to read many ways, in my view. As a story. Quest for math facts. Ways animals and insects interact. Explore ecosystems. The list goes on and on.
This amazing adventure can inspire corporate schools who do blocks on a topic including cross-curriculum. Like, Kindercare or La Petite Academy.
Extra materials and games on the website or developed through a program with activities could encourage homeschool families of different ages to work on varying topics while using the book as the community theme.
A pre-K teacher who interacted with many age groups from early preschool to fifth grade would have found this a useful regular engagement tool. Including encouraging children to create their life experience number quest.
Such as the little girl mentioned earlier who recently turned two. Lives on a farm in Panama. Where her family began with zero experience, animals, and even no coffee beans. The letter below supports expanding the book. Moving her experience from the page into real life. Isn’t this what learning is all about? To me, heck ya!
The book inspires creating a personalized curriculum as the children work within the world around them. Which is how social studies progresses for anyone who is not aware.
We begin in the womb, then crib, bedroom, house, street, city, county, state, country, continent, and world around us then outer space. The sky is the limit. For Pebbles discovers, spoiler alert, in the words of Buzz Lightyear, “to infinity and beyond”.
Another sample idea, if you live in a city ask open-ended questions including counting cars, stop lights, windows, buildings, different types of people, and so on. I’m from Brooklyn, NY like Mr. Benun. This would be how my teacher might have inspired me. Counting bagels and pizza would be my favorite.
Another hidden gem, Mr. B thought of everything. He lists a measure like a cup and shares the metric version. Why is this important? In America, we use standard measures like cups, gallons, inches, etc. But the rest of the world uses metric.
If you are an info geek like me jump on YouTube. For the answer ask, “Why does America use standard measurement and the rest of the world uses metric?” Share the story with the children for an open-ended Q&A about our globe of people. How differences in learning are a part of the world we live in. Conversations like this help young minds expand their ideas.
For younger children, this can plant seeds. For older children, this is gold to encourage curiosity about measurement. No matter what field, they decide to pursue metric is the primary tool used for both blue- and white-collar gigs.
Another reason to enjoy the book is the diverse habitats Pebbles explores. Including creatures native to the ecosystem and creatures he visits to ask, “What’s the biggest number you know?” Illustrated by Laura Watson.
A song to include for cross-curriculum exploration is Bill Oliver’s The Habitat Song. If you play guitar the chords are not difficult. Or enjoy YouTube options. Children will laugh and smile. If you wear rabbit ears over a fox hat and name yourself a fabbit as I did might get why this would invite belly laughs as we gleefully sing together. Students would chant the chorus while I’d make silly of the lyrics. This book would have guided them into exploring further as a partner to join topics and subjects using music.
How does music help Pebbles readers?
Studies have shown combining music and learning has a marked response to strengthening academically per sites like Live Strong. Notably by age five. Studies vary, but the proof was in my classroom every day for years.
Remember School House Rock classics? Besides helping myself learn as a child, taught children including my son themes such as multiplication through these lyrics to not only remember but experience numbers. Assisting Pebbles with similar results.
Habitat Song partnered with the book can help littles associate positive memories with the themes throughout the sections. These associations make memorization easier and acclimating to the exponential mathematical possibilities endless.
A recommendation when introducing, prepare for an onslaught of questions. Requiring extra time to finish. Ways to encourage curiosity. Explore beyond the quest for the biggest number.
This journey inspires many queries. Each can set the focus. Like, "Today we will read the story. Tomorrow, explore fun facts.” And so on. Beyond reading a section can have an art project ready. Paints, paper, colored pencils, and crayons. Whatever the idea be ready to direct focus to that activity as this is what we will do next.
The book is a lot to digest with many diverse sections. Reads like a comic book at times. How I tackled reading as a child struggling with literacy. This organizational style can be distracting from the primary biggest number journey.
For children who struggle with ADHD or younger learners having a plan is helpful to thwart rebellion like, ‘No I want to finish’, and not go to bed. Or transition to the next activity scheduled at school. Support these littles by giving them a structure to improve transitions.
Another favorite book involving numbers to enhance Pebbles and the Biggest Number for both children and grown-ups alike inspiring imagination is Norton Jester’s The Phantom Tollbooth. Princess’s Rhyme and Reason are locked in at the Castle in the Air. Milo, a young boy enters this strange land through a tollbooth that shows up at his house. From here, he meets a Dog named Toc that Tics, a humbug, spelling Bee, and many more strange happenstances. Including reuniting the leader of letters and words – King Azaz with his brother The Mathemagician.
This book enlarges what numbers are through an interesting cross-curriculum story to partner with Pebbles furthering the exploration of mathematics.
For some classrooms having Pebbles in the room as a stuffed toy is possible by asking on the biggest number website for a plush. Or create his image in the class using poster board or individual drawings to take part in activities.
Reminding children through tasks and referencing often throughout the year will embed the expansive ideas long term. Whether connecting Andrew Henry to having the confidence to rescue Rhyme and Reason. Pebbles gives inspiration for cross-curriculum exploration with almost any subject.
Children can learn scientific theory using steps to finding answers or what doesn’t work in route to what might toward the questions they seek with Pebbles reflecting on his journey.
The scientific method has five basic steps, plus one feedback step:
1. Observe.
2. Ask a question.
3. Form a hypothesis or testable explanation.
4. Make a prediction based on the hypothesis.
5. Test the prediction.
6. Iterate: use the results to make new hypotheses or predictions.
Let the children know they’re explorers in Pebbles’ world. Transferring to their own. Science exploration in the book leads its open-ended questions into the world. The activity letter below can assist with ideas for more cross-curriculum introspection.
At the back of the book are extras like a word glossary. This is a great place to visit before reading. Help the children understand new words. Use open-ended questions when you hit the word from the glossary within the reading. Ask, “Do you remember what this means? Can you give an example?” Engage the meaning with a few questions or help correct if they forget. This will be a steady vocab improvement.
Need more activity ideas, please visit www.biggestnumber.com for well well-thought-out exploration beyond the book. Learning with Pebbles to infinity and beyond at any age can be a key to lifelong learning adventures.
For an activity idea, use the letter below as a guidepost to create your family or student inquiry for school or home participation. Have the children add information from their personal lives or collective suggestions from the group to create a guidepost for exploration. Create open-ended questions to answer as one or in groups. Or as a family. There is great joy in learning along with Pebbles and personal experiences.
Sample edited letter idea to help create your own:
Dearest Dad and Mom,
An author bud, Joey Benun from my hometown in Brooklyn, NY asked if I’d review his first literary adventure Pebbles and the Biggest Number.
The story made me think of Sadie. Her curiosity, enthusiasm, and joy in nature with her animals, or new creatures she discovers. How much happiness she would find on this journey of homeschooling. Plus, how much you all would enjoy helping her creatively.
The topics include nature, math, science, fun facts, and beautiful pictures. Plus, there are more facts and games on the website you all may enjoy together, as a family and with friends. Though there’s no farm. This gave me an idea.
Lola’s Farm can be a springboard to more educational joy.
If you add farm animals and coffee beans could extend the story into activities related to Sadie’s world around her. And make up your book, too, that could cover other areas like art and language: writing, spelling, etc. Along with the ideas in the book for nature, math, science, and fun facts.
Questions I’m curious about, how many coffee beans does a tree produce per season? Do all varieties make the same number? How many minutes does it take to sort bugs from beans for a batch of coffee?
Sky’s the limit of how far the options go seeking the biggest number of activities Sadie can discover on her lifelong learning adventure.
For context, Sadie lives on a farm with animals in South America growing coffee. And, in Vermont she travels to visit her family’s Roastery and cafe’ in Stowe. Recently, visited 48 states in 48 days when she began reading with Pebbles. Homeschools. Enjoys reading, dancing, and gymnastics. Bakes with her mom, makes Youtube videos, and helps with farm chores like feeding her puppies. Learning two languages, Spanish and English. If you want to see Sadie on her Journey, meet her cow Moo Moo, dogs, goats, and more visit @NomadicMovement.
How you or your children find the biggest numbers in the world depends on you. Whether a city girl like I was or living rural or in suburbia. Numbers are everywhere. Time to explore, “What’s the biggest number you know?” and write the story through counting and much more, too.
Special note: Academic growth beginning with Pebbles can start as early as utero. Reading while pregnant can build relationships within the womb and encourage literacy. Supporting the ritual never starts early enough. Aspiring to infinity and beyond is the bedrock of life-long learning.
Thanks for reading the review and ideas to expand engagement with Pebbles. Hope my goal to plant seeds for forests of learning encourages you to find the biggest number of smiles each time you read as a family, class, and friends, too.
Thank you for sharing the beautiful box and book with activities, Mr. Benun. Well done Joey and Laura, the illustrator. Impressed beyond measure. See how I did that? ‘…beyond measure’.
Click like, share, and comment if so moved. This helps spread the info reaching more readers.
Kind regards, Patience #AskMissPatience
August 3, 2023
Never thought teaching and learning about numbers would be this much fun and just fun! And that too flanked with amazing information and knowledge!
Thank you, author, for the amazing book! The content is awesome and the presentation is quite pleasant. Fits perfectly for the reading age group.
The facts are presented in such a fun and engaging manner that it’s quite just not possible to read the entire book with a young reader until the very end.
The illustrations are so well done.
Thank you, author, for the amazing book! The content is awesome and the presentation is quite pleasant. Fits perfectly for the reading age group.
The facts are presented in such a fun and engaging manner that it’s quite just not possible to read the entire book with a young reader until the very end.
The illustrations are so well done.
January 22, 2024
This book was right up my street – a book about numbers for children – always a good thing to my mind. Unfortunately, I did have a few problems with it.
The lovely bright illustrations make it look like it is a book for very young children, but the text, vocabulary and ideas make me think that it is better suited to a child already at school who can at least count to a hundred.
There are some wonderful facts and figures throughout the book, which will be great for a young enquiring mind. But I found that always giving measurements in metric AND imperial units could be very confusing, and definitely broke up the rhythm of the text and made it tiresome to read. The author should have stuck to one set of units – preferably metric (all countries except Liberia, Myanmar and USA use metric) – and if necessary offered a way to convert in the appendix.
However, rants about measurements aside, it is a lovely book. Any mathematical book for kids is great – especially one the introduces infinity.
The lovely bright illustrations make it look like it is a book for very young children, but the text, vocabulary and ideas make me think that it is better suited to a child already at school who can at least count to a hundred.
There are some wonderful facts and figures throughout the book, which will be great for a young enquiring mind. But I found that always giving measurements in metric AND imperial units could be very confusing, and definitely broke up the rhythm of the text and made it tiresome to read. The author should have stuck to one set of units – preferably metric (all countries except Liberia, Myanmar and USA use metric) – and if necessary offered a way to convert in the appendix.
However, rants about measurements aside, it is a lovely book. Any mathematical book for kids is great – especially one the introduces infinity.
February 8, 2023
i've participated in a lot of different book giveaways, but i think this has been my most favorite. i will explain now ...you see ...when it did arrive yesterday in the mail ...i opened it up and amazingly it was covered in wrapping paper ...what?? what in the world?? yes, it was ...wrapped in wrapping paper, that did match the paper inside the book ...i enjoy the matching ...so cool!! the details folks!! way cool/awesome! so i love a a great hard back book ...a Goodreads giveaway i did win. i will be giving this away ...to someone special ... a little reader for sure ... i love it when that happens. just because i am old ...but the world (some of the world) standards ...we all love a great book; this is full of amazing facts ...some facts you might not have known?? maybe?? i've always enjoyed butterflies ...gorgeous creatures. thank you for the giveaway chance, thanks for the amazing details ...and so excited to see or find that perfect someone to enjoy it after me ...pass it on ...what fun!!
added note: guess what just fell out of the book?? "stickers, a bookmark, why a huge list of all the folks who helped with the information (tidbits) from the book, what fun, love all the info. it is like a little kiddie pooh encyclopedia. what a throwback to my childhood, miss those days so much".
added note: guess what just fell out of the book?? "stickers, a bookmark, why a huge list of all the folks who helped with the information (tidbits) from the book, what fun, love all the info. it is like a little kiddie pooh encyclopedia. what a throwback to my childhood, miss those days so much".
August 12, 2023
I was given the opportunity to beta-read this book, and I’m so glad that I did! This was such a fun children’s book - it reminded me of the type of books I loved when I was little! There were a bunch of fun facts included throughout the main storyline, as well as outside of it, and I learned A LOT. On top of that, all of the illustrations were really vibrant and cute!
Pebbles is very curious, and I think he’ll make an excellent example for kids to follow. In fact, all of the animals in this book are good examples. Each of them answers Pebbles’ questions and enthusiastic curiosity, and some of them even help him avoid natural disasters!
If you know any kids interested in numbers or animals (or if you are interested in numbers or animals), if you’re a teacher, or if you’re a parent, this book would be the perfect addition to kids’ bookshelves!
Pebbles is very curious, and I think he’ll make an excellent example for kids to follow. In fact, all of the animals in this book are good examples. Each of them answers Pebbles’ questions and enthusiastic curiosity, and some of them even help him avoid natural disasters!
If you know any kids interested in numbers or animals (or if you are interested in numbers or animals), if you’re a teacher, or if you’re a parent, this book would be the perfect addition to kids’ bookshelves!
January 14, 2023
This is a beautiful children's book! The art is stunning, vibrant, creative, layered, and engaging. Of course, my 5-year-old daughter enjoys the art, but I found myself mesmerized by it, too. I love every page. I found myself turning the pages, appreciating the artwork, even when my daughter wasn't around. As for the story and concept, that's engaging as well: teaching kids about huge numbers (starting at a million and moving to a nonillion before "ending" at infinity), but in a familiar 1-10 format (million, billion, trillion, etc., just as other kids books would go through 1, 2, 3, etc.). And I was impressed with how the end of the book introduces the mathematical concept of infinity to young minds. In addition to the story, the little fact bubbles and blurbs on each page add depth. They can easily be passed over in favor of the story, which is Pebbles the butterfly making is away around the world in search of the biggest number, or returned to later and enjoyed on their own. Although the book is geared toward kids ages 6 to 9, my 5-year-old followed it fairly well. She wasn't quite grasping these huge numbers, but she delighted in counting "sets of zeros" as the numbers increased. That is, she didn't quite get "1 quadrillion," but had fun counting "1, 2, 3, 4!" sets of 3 zeros (12 zeros in 1 quadrillion), showing the book is accessible to a wide age range. And hey, let's be honest: I wasn't familiar with some of these huge numbers either! Of course, my daughter cared about Pebbles, too. For instance, how will Pebbles survive the tsunami?! Okay, this is a pretty long review for a children's book, but it's because I believe in it. Beautiful, engaging, unique, and comprehensive in its scope--which is, after all, infinite!
August 1, 2023
This was such an excellent children’s book! The artwork was colorful and adorable and this book was packed full of information.
Pebbles the butterfly loves numbers and decides to travel around the world in search of the biggest number. Pebbles encounters all sorts of different creatures and we are given all sorts of fun facts that surround numbers.
My son would have loved this book when he was younger. There is so much to love in this book! Young readers are introduced to lots of different animals, information about weather, numbers, and lots of other fun scientific facts.
This is a great book for a wide range of young readers, as well as families and classrooms.
Thank you to Joey Benun for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Pebbles the butterfly loves numbers and decides to travel around the world in search of the biggest number. Pebbles encounters all sorts of different creatures and we are given all sorts of fun facts that surround numbers.
My son would have loved this book when he was younger. There is so much to love in this book! Young readers are introduced to lots of different animals, information about weather, numbers, and lots of other fun scientific facts.
This is a great book for a wide range of young readers, as well as families and classrooms.
Thank you to Joey Benun for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
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November 26, 2023This is a cute, educational story about a monarch butterfly on a quest to discover the largest number. In the process, he encounters a wide variety of wildlife, traveling through different biomes, until, at last, he discovers infinity via a Painted Lady.
Many early readers focus on numbers and counting, but this is one of the few I’ve seen to focus on such large measurement units. I think it is a good concept because I can recall having similar conversations with younger relatives and my friends’ kids. Everyone has met at least one child who just learned about infinity and is PSYCHED.
Not an inch of space is wasted on the page. Illustrations are clean and colorful and follow a concise sequence of events. Pebbles is detailed enough I could tell he was a monarch butterfly in a glance, but not-so photoreal that he loses his cuteness. The husky and eagle were stand-outs to me as far as appearance went.
Fun facts and science spots are provided to anticipate reader questions and build on acquired knowledge.
For instance, if Pebbles goes to the desert and discovers 27 million is the temperature of the sun, the fun facts go on to highlight the distance from the sun to earth, as well as to make sure the reader knows what a desert is, and knows how the number 1 million looks.
The story can be enjoyed with or without reading these, but their inclusion might make the book more engaging for adults who are reading the story to their child.
I would recommend this book to the parents of inquisitive early readers.
Find More Reviews @ www.hunterandspider.com
Many early readers focus on numbers and counting, but this is one of the few I’ve seen to focus on such large measurement units. I think it is a good concept because I can recall having similar conversations with younger relatives and my friends’ kids. Everyone has met at least one child who just learned about infinity and is PSYCHED.
Not an inch of space is wasted on the page. Illustrations are clean and colorful and follow a concise sequence of events. Pebbles is detailed enough I could tell he was a monarch butterfly in a glance, but not-so photoreal that he loses his cuteness. The husky and eagle were stand-outs to me as far as appearance went.
Fun facts and science spots are provided to anticipate reader questions and build on acquired knowledge.
For instance, if Pebbles goes to the desert and discovers 27 million is the temperature of the sun, the fun facts go on to highlight the distance from the sun to earth, as well as to make sure the reader knows what a desert is, and knows how the number 1 million looks.
The story can be enjoyed with or without reading these, but their inclusion might make the book more engaging for adults who are reading the story to their child.
I would recommend this book to the parents of inquisitive early readers.
Find More Reviews @ www.hunterandspider.com
February 1, 2024
In this book not only does it teach how big numbers can go, but there are a lot of fun science facts, too.
This book, to me, is aimed at the slightly older end of ‘young readers’. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and there are many delightful animals that appear, too.
I’m a huge lover of books being a fun way of learning, and this one has it in spades. I even learned new things! I also love, and appreciate, the conversions between Fahrenheit and Celsius, as well as kilograms and pounds, making this book accessible for many.
If you have younger readers in your life that like learning about numbers, and some fun facts about different animals along the way, then I highly recommend picking up this book!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eBook in exchange for an honest review.
This book, to me, is aimed at the slightly older end of ‘young readers’. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous, and there are many delightful animals that appear, too.
I’m a huge lover of books being a fun way of learning, and this one has it in spades. I even learned new things! I also love, and appreciate, the conversions between Fahrenheit and Celsius, as well as kilograms and pounds, making this book accessible for many.
If you have younger readers in your life that like learning about numbers, and some fun facts about different animals along the way, then I highly recommend picking up this book!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eBook in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2023
Super cute book to read and fun and interesting facts to facts to learn. I think this would be a fun book that all kids would enjoy.
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August 23, 2023Such a cute kids book! A few different ways to read the book depending on kids ages and interests. My 5,8, and 10 year old all love this book!
October 27, 2023
See my full review here:
https://instagram.com/p/CyTjY5arBnp/
https://instagram.com/p/CyTjY5arBnp/
August 4, 2023
Thank you so much to the author for providing my boys a physical copy!!
This was so wonderfully illustrated and my oldest LOVED all the science facts along with learning about the BIGGEST number! He's already made me read it a few times. 🤣
Perfect for that first thru fourth grade slot!
This was so wonderfully illustrated and my oldest LOVED all the science facts along with learning about the BIGGEST number! He's already made me read it a few times. 🤣
Perfect for that first thru fourth grade slot!
January 5, 2023
This book has it all: beautiful illustrations, adorable characters, and so many facts that will teach you about math, animals, and nature. I learned so much about numbers and the physical world around us – especially how many grains of sand make up all the beaches! I found the definition of the different numbers – 1 nonillion has 30 zeroes – extremely helpful as were the conversions of certain numbers to metric units. I loved everything about this book! It’s colorful, informative, and so much fun. Highly recommended for early readers and their families, and anyone who loves numbers.
December 22, 2022
**Manuscript was received for beta reading services and the following review**
PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER is beautifully well-written and the illustrations are gorgeous. Main character Pebbles will be relatable to any child, and the pacing is quick in terms of learning numbers but allows the reader time to experience the ecosystems and their unique inhabitants before moving on to the next big number.
Pebbles, a young butterfly, adventures in search of the biggest number, and along the way meets and interacts with a variety of animals and ecosystems, including frogs in the rain forest and dolphins in the ocean. There are three "stories" to follow: the main story line of Pebbles, the blurbs about the animals and their habitats, and finally the deeper thoughts of the number and just how large a quintillion really is!
The reader can choose to dive into all three at once, or only follow the main story line and go back for the scientific information. It's a great starting point for introducing fiction and science together without feeling like baby's first textbook.
Overall, PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER is well-written, entertaining, educational, and offers years of fun for a child even before they can read on their own. I can't wait for its release so I can see the illustrations in print!
PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER is beautifully well-written and the illustrations are gorgeous. Main character Pebbles will be relatable to any child, and the pacing is quick in terms of learning numbers but allows the reader time to experience the ecosystems and their unique inhabitants before moving on to the next big number.
Pebbles, a young butterfly, adventures in search of the biggest number, and along the way meets and interacts with a variety of animals and ecosystems, including frogs in the rain forest and dolphins in the ocean. There are three "stories" to follow: the main story line of Pebbles, the blurbs about the animals and their habitats, and finally the deeper thoughts of the number and just how large a quintillion really is!
The reader can choose to dive into all three at once, or only follow the main story line and go back for the scientific information. It's a great starting point for introducing fiction and science together without feeling like baby's first textbook.
Overall, PEBBLES AND THE BIGGEST NUMBER is well-written, entertaining, educational, and offers years of fun for a child even before they can read on their own. I can't wait for its release so I can see the illustrations in print!
February 28, 2023
I received this book from the author in exchange of an honest review.
First up, thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book along with some very cute stickers and a sweet message! And wrapped up in such a nice wrapping paper even, it was a treat to unwrap it!
In this book we meet a gorgeous butterfly named Pebbles. He is done with the same old numbers and wants to know the BIGGEST number that exists! We follow him as he travels from deserts to cold regions to even higher to find it out! And each page we learn something new. A new number but also new facts about something mentioned in the story on that page. For instance we would learn a new number in the dessert but also a fact about desserts or something specific there. I was curious what numbers we would learn on each page and how many zeroes they would be. Haha, I learned some things even. Then again, maths/numbers, are not really my thing. Give me words any day! I loved that, despite all the scary things that happen at times like tsunamis or earthquakes, that Pebbles never gave up. This butterfly had a mission and he was not going to be stopped until he learned it all!
And I loved how the ending tied up the story and I loved that little nugget of information at the end. Oh my, I did not know that!
I always love it when we get extras in the end, and in this one we get a handy guide to numbers + more. And I also liked the story about the author in the back.
The art was just so fun. I love how colourful and fun it was and how well drawn everything was! Laura Watson has a fun style and I really have to see if she has done more!
While I did love all the extra info and I loved how it all fitted, it was at times a bit much for my ADHD brain. I had a hard time focussing on the story and then also the facts. Sometimes I just had to re-read some things because I had lost the thread of the story.
All in all, this was a fun book and I really am happy I had the chance to read it! I would recommend this one to all, this will be a fun one for kids who want to know more about numbers + love getting fun facts!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
First up, thank you to the author for sending me a copy of the book along with some very cute stickers and a sweet message! And wrapped up in such a nice wrapping paper even, it was a treat to unwrap it!
In this book we meet a gorgeous butterfly named Pebbles. He is done with the same old numbers and wants to know the BIGGEST number that exists! We follow him as he travels from deserts to cold regions to even higher to find it out! And each page we learn something new. A new number but also new facts about something mentioned in the story on that page. For instance we would learn a new number in the dessert but also a fact about desserts or something specific there. I was curious what numbers we would learn on each page and how many zeroes they would be. Haha, I learned some things even. Then again, maths/numbers, are not really my thing. Give me words any day! I loved that, despite all the scary things that happen at times like tsunamis or earthquakes, that Pebbles never gave up. This butterfly had a mission and he was not going to be stopped until he learned it all!
And I loved how the ending tied up the story and I loved that little nugget of information at the end. Oh my, I did not know that!
I always love it when we get extras in the end, and in this one we get a handy guide to numbers + more. And I also liked the story about the author in the back.
The art was just so fun. I love how colourful and fun it was and how well drawn everything was! Laura Watson has a fun style and I really have to see if she has done more!
While I did love all the extra info and I loved how it all fitted, it was at times a bit much for my ADHD brain. I had a hard time focussing on the story and then also the facts. Sometimes I just had to re-read some things because I had lost the thread of the story.
All in all, this was a fun book and I really am happy I had the chance to read it! I would recommend this one to all, this will be a fun one for kids who want to know more about numbers + love getting fun facts!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 22, 2022
An amazing book for kids and adults. The way the author has integrated numbers and made them intriguing and thought-provoking is astounding. A genuinely great read for any little one. The author has managed to combine the vastness of large numbers with other familiar elements children can understand, like weather patterns, animals, biomes, and other natural earth-science subjects. He makes them fun for kids, includes all sorts of number-related facts and ideas, and even challenges your little one to picture large numbers as physical objects. As an adult reading it, I learned so much about larger numbers but what this author does to introduce the complicated concept of infinity is quite brilliant and refreshing. Get this book for a holiday or birthday gift or just when you are looking for a book that integrates mathematics and sciences more thoroughly into your child's bedtime routine. Either way, it is an excellent choice.
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