From the author of How to Teach a Slug to Read comes a delightful story about a pea named Arlo who wants to be free. So off he rolls…and rolls…and rolls. He meets a slug, he meets a bug―and still he rolls until…you'll see! Filled with charming illustrations and told in verse, this endearing tale explores the ideas of independence and striking out on one's own. PreS-Gr 2—A perfectly round green pea who wears glasses shares a pod with his siblings Mary, Gary, Terry, and Sherry. Determined not to become part of a salad or soup, he drops to the ground and rolls away. He escapes a hungry slug, a stink bug with menacing pincers, and a crow with a sharp beak and talons. While avoiding an army of ants, he is kicked high in the air by a puppy digging a hole. "He sailed to a field/where he dropped with a PLOP,/rolled into a wall, and came to a stop." There Arlo sleeps beneath the ground as the seasons change. He awakes the next spring to find himself a vine, soaking up the sunshine against a stone wall. As time passes, he puts out blossoms, which are replaced by peapods. One of these is home to his children, Molly, Holly, Dolly, Paul, and Arlene—all perfectly round peas wearing glasses. The lively, acrylic illustrations capture the adventurous pea's journey on full-color spreads, one of which, turned vertically, shows Arlo growing up the wall as his petals fall on the hapless head of a slug. The rhymed text is a pleasure to read, making it a good choice for storytime as well as individual reading. Children will enjoy this story with its satisfying ending. A good choice for spring reading.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN “Gardening goodness, just the ticket for a science storytime or cozy lap reading.” ― Kirkus Reviews Susan Pearson lives in Plainfield, MA, where she grows peas and other vegetables in her huge garden. She has written three books about slugs: Slugs in Love , How to Teach a Slug to Read , and Slugger . Jeff Ebbeler has illustrated many popular picture books, including Snow Day for Mouse and Haunted House, Haunted Mouse by Judy Cox and April Fool, Phyllis! by Susanna Leonard Hill. He and his wife, Eileen, both attended the Art Academy of Cincinnati. They currently live in Cincinnati with their twin daughters, Olivia and Isabel.