Stuck Together (Pea, Bee, & Jay #1)

by Brian "Smitty" Smith

Overview

Get ready to roll with Pea, Bee, & Jay in this brand-new early reader graphic novel series by Brian “Smitty” Smith, perfect for fans of Narwhal & Jelly, emerging readers, and comic lovers alike!

Like all peas, Pea loves to roll. So when a no-good strawberry dares him to roll all the way off the farm, he swears he can do it—eazy me-zee!

But along the way, a powerful thunderstorm strikes and bounces Pea off course...and right into two unlikely new buds: a bee named Bee who thinks she knows it all, and a bird named Jay who can’t figure out how to fly.

On their own they may not look like much, but if this trio can stick together, they just might help Pea find his way back home!

Praise for Pea, Bee, & Jay:

Kirkus Best Books of 2020

SLJ Best Books of 2020

Fall 2020 Indie Next List

Amazon Best Books of 2020

Junior Library Guild Selection

2021 Texas Library Association’s Little Maverick Graphic Novels Reading List Selection

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062981165
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Series:	Pea, Bee, & Jay Series , #1
Pages:	64
Sales rank:	36,409
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	6 - 10 Years

About the Author

Brian "Smitty" Smith is a former Marvel Comics and DC Comics editor. He is the cocreator and writer behind the New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, the cartoonist of Tree Mail, and the winner of the Kids Read Comics "Most Epic Adventure" award. Smitty lives in Greensboro, NC.

Brian "Smitty" Smith is a former Marvel Comics and DC Comics editor. He is the cocreator and writer behind the New York Times bestselling graphic novel The Stuff of Legend, the cartoonist of Tree Mail, and the winner of the Kids Read Comics "Most Epic Adventure" award. Smitty lives in Greensboro, NC.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/31/2020

A green pea, a bespectacled honeybee, and a blue jay become fast friends in this lively graphic novel early reader. “No rolling too far from our row,” warns Pea’s mother, but it’s not long before a dare sends Pea on a fast-paced adventure beyond the farm. Smith’s cinematic panels capture the action with suspense and style: storm clouds gather in the distance as Pea rolls under the fence and eventually to a stop, lost, beside Bee. Though Bee claims that birds are “the absolute worst,” the pair is soon joined by Jay, a flightless lone bluejay. Venturing forth, the trio works together to get past tough-talking acorns, raspberry-blowing raspberries, and a sly, yellow-eyed villain. Puns and jokes abound, making this series opener as silly as it is sincere about friendship’s value. Pea, Bee, and Jay may make for unlikely companions, but just like the sandwich, they form an unbeatable team. Publishing simultaneously: Wannabees (Pea, Bee, & Jay #2). Ages 6–10. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 09/01/2020

Gr 2–4—An unlikely traveler, a tiny pea, rolls away from his farm home after an ill-intentioned dare by a mean strawberry. Due to a brief downpour, he finds himself farther afield than intended, and to make his way home he tentatively enlists the help of a misfit bee and a blue jay who has yet to learn to fly. This small-scale odyssey emphasizes the virtues of unlikely friendship, teamwork, and bravery. Just as Pea's journey begins without any particular rhyme or reason, so, too, does it merrily roll along to a satisfying conclusion. Colorful, cartoonish natural surroundings seen from a pea's-eye view, the antics of the hapless trio bumbling along together, and a heavy dollop of whimsy result in just the ticket for a cozy kid's read. VERDICT Though the text is a little too dense for early elementary schoolers to read on their own, slightly older students will snatch this one up. Funny, punny, fearless, and even corny, Smith is a master wordsmith with an innate sense of what makes children chuckle.—Emilia Packard, Austin, TX

School Library Journal

★ 2020-06-30
A green pea, a bumblebee, and a bluejay become fast friends in this charming early graphic novel.

Pea lives in a pod with his mother and grandfather. Feeling stifled by his family, Pea is excited to go rolling with his other round-ish farm friends (a blueberry, strawberry, cherry, and other peas). Soon their fun escalates into a dare to roll off the farm and procure a red leaf from a far-off oak tree, and Pea is eager to meet the challenge. But as soon as he starts his journey, Pea is caught in a rainstorm that washes him away, leaving him lost and stranded off the farm! There he meets Bee, a solitary bespectacled bumblebee, and soon the duo stumble upon Jay, an unassuming orphaned bluejay who never learned how to fly. The trio decide to team up, combining their unique skills and personalities to outwit an army of bumblebee guards, bush full of raspberry-blowing raspberries, and a predatory fox to return Pea to his home. In a satisfying conclusion, all three discover that family and community weren’t far beyond their reach after all. Simple, expressive full-color illustrations are friendly and easy to parse. Combining these visual elements with a sweet, straightforward plot makes this a perfect graphic novel for newly independent readers; that it kicks off a series makes it all the sweeter. Volume 2, Wannabees, publishes simultaneously.

Readers will “bee” delighted by this earnest and endearing tale. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Read More