I Don't Want to be a Pea!

Hugo and Bella #1

by Ann Bonwill, Simon Rickerty

Hugo is in no doubt as to what he and Bella should go as to the Hippo-Bird Fancy Dress Party. They will go as the princess and the pea and he will be the princess (of course!) leaving poor Bella to be the pea. Indignant, Bella refuses. She has a better suggestion - they will go as a mermaid on a rock and she will be the mermaid (of course!) leaving a huffy Hugo to be the rock. Hugo is not happy. But neither is Bella. They just can't decide on a costume and things reach a crisis when they both flounce off saying they don't want to go to the party at all. After time to consider, both Hugo and Bella calm down and (privately) both choose to dress as a pea as a gesture of making it all up to each other. So when they both arrive at the party as peas, Hugo and Bella announce proudly that they are 'two peas in a pod, just as it should be' underlining the message of the book that friendship is all about give and take. With wonderfully absurd illustrations from new talent Simon Rickerty and a great read-aloud text, this is a made-for-sharing picture book.

Genres: Picture Books, Friendship, Childrens, Animals, Birds, Storytime, Humor

36 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2011

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

awww, because why wouldn't the hippo and the little bird living on his head be best friends and go to parties together and get into fights about what costumes to wear? it makes me happy to think of it occurring out there in nature.

because bella (the bird, not the teenage necrophiliac) does not want to be the pea to hugo's princess. and who can blame her? a pea is a totally boring costume. it is a round green ball. it could be mistaken for a boog. and no one wants to go to the "bird-hippo fairy-tale fancy dress party" dressed as a boog.

they attempt to come up with alternative costumes, but they just keep disagreeing, and it gets pretty nasty, "you are gray and blobby..."

oh, snap, bella.

so they decide to go to the party alone, but because this is a children's picture book, everything ends up okay for the bird and the hippo, and most importantly, the pea.

is very cute.

and i thank the tomato for sending it to me. because i love hippos. and this bird is not as evil as other birds, despite that earlier hippo-burrrrn.

come to my blog!

[Danielle's · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comical. I don't want to be the pea! Fancy dress party for two peas in a pod but what shall we go as?
This is the first Hugo and Bella book I've read and I really enjoyed it.
Hugo wants to go to the fancy dress party as Princess and the Pea but no one wants to be the pea!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo the hippo, and Bella the bird not only have a symbiotic relationship, but they are best friends. It's time for the Fairy-Tale Fancy Dress Party, but the two best friends can't decide on what costume to wear. This leads to an argument, and a misunderstanding, but in the end things have a way of working themselves out between best friends.

[Crissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️'s because I love the compromise in the end.

[Josey Kinder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo the Hippo and Bella the Bird are invited to a fairytale fancy dress party. They have to decide what costumes they’re going to be for the party but they just can’t agree on some. They are both stubborn and come up with lots of different costumes the two of them could be but neither of them likes the others costume ideas. With time running out before the party starts and not reaching an agreement, Hugo and Bella storm off from each other. While alone they both realize that they don’t want to go to the party without the other one and finally concur. They show up to the party both dressed as a pea and have a new appreciation for each other.

Both Hugo and Bella were stubborn and liked to be the center of attention but overall felt care and appreciation for one another. The font of Hugo’s words is different from the font of Bella’s words so it’s easy to follow along to and to know whose saying what. I like how the book had a good lesson and showed it through cute and colorful illustrations. The illustrations are simple and really only consist of Hugo and Bella. The text structure compared and contrasted Hugo and Bella’s views on what they wanted to wear and how they saw each other.
I could use this book in the classroom to teach my students how to get along with others and to teach my students how to compromise when they have problems. Also, how to reflect on the problems and come up with a healthy way to deal with them, rather than making them worse and continue fighting.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A fantastic book about friendship, falling out, and figuring it all out in the end. A great, simple story that is very fun to read. I loved the simplicity of the illustrations. The story itself was well-told. It was similar in style to Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie series. I really liked the twist of an ending.

Great book. I will definitely be on the lookout for more Hugo and Bella books.

[Asho · Rating 3 out of 5]

My three-year-old requested this only once during the time we had it checked out from the library. I pretty much agree with his assessment. It's cute (I enjoy the illustrations), but I felt like the text was too wordy.

[Federica Miross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the emotional turmoil that the two friends take you on. it is great to see how their friendship is so strong that they can say what they want or not and at the end the friendship so valuable that they find a compromise.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, fun, fun!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, silly friendship book.

[Ariana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hugo is Bella’s hippo and Bella is Hugo’s bird, and they are going to the Fairytale Dress Party. However, they cannot agree on what to dress like. Hippo wants to be the princess, but Bella doesn’t want to be a pea. She wants to be a mermaid and Hugo can be her rock, but Hugo doesn’t want to be a rock. They fight, but eventually agree to be two peas in a pod. The illustrations are in mixed media with the characters having babyish proportions. Both characters are in almost every page, except in three spreads. When they fight there are two spreads that deal with one character each. The middle spread of the book actually has no characters at all only dialogue. However, the characters are still represented by a visual synecdoche. Half of the spread has a white background covered on orange paint paw prints from Hugo while the other half is an orange spill of paint with white prints of Bella’s feet. This is a great book that can be used to teach about compromise, and it can make a great read out loud.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure if this was the intention, but the first thing I thought about this book when I read it is that it reminds me a lot of Elephant and Piggie books, except wordier. Hugo the Hippo and Bella the bird are going to attend the Hippo-Bird Fairy-Tale Fancy Dress Party and can't decide what costume to wear. Originally they were going as the Princess and Pea, but Bella decided she didn't want to be the Pea and then a huge argument broke out and they leave mad. But then both decide it is not worth it to stay mad at each other and both come as a Pea. Absolutely adorable illustrations, they just needed to get the story a bit more succinct. Recommended for ages 3-6, 3 stars.

[Walida · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book is a sweet & silly story of best friends (hippo and his bird... Or is it a bird and his hippo ☺). The book is a excellent example of friendship and compromise. I enjoyed how all their costume ideas play off their differences in size. I also like the "crisis" page, where instead of showing them angry, the agitation is implied in the orangey footprints all over the pages.

The moral of the tale is that sometimes we do things we don't really want to do because we love our friends.

Learning experience: Social Emotion

Discussion for circle time learning to compromise and valuing friendships

[Tanu Shree · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great me and my mom thought it was really funny. Ann Bonwill makes nice books of Hugo and Bella and her/he are really funny well only Hugo and Bella ones. I don't want to be a pea is actually very good and the part where Bella was mermaid a she told Hugo to her rock then the part that after that like this Hugo says I don't want to be a rock it is too big and too grey and Bella says but you are big and grey now that was super silly that's why I rated 5 stars but I did not read this book in English I read it in French and in French and English the book covers are different in French it is Hugo and Bella on a island and in English they are in a room!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I literally said, "Aw!" at the sweet happy ending...two peas in a pod. :) There's also a subtle change of perspective by the end of the book; at the beginning, they introduce each other as "Bella is my bird" and "Hugo is my hippo," but at the end, at the party, they say, "I am Bella's hippo," and "I am Hugo's bird."

Love how all their costume ideas play off their differences in size. I also like the "crisis" page, where instead of showing them angry, the agitation is implied in the orangey footprints all over the pages.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo Hippo and Bella bird are trying to decide on a costume for the Fairy-Tale Fancy Dress Party. They cannot agree, while Hugo wants to be a princess, Bella does not want to be a pea, and so on until they are so mad at each other they decide not to go to the party together. In the end, friendship wins out and they both go to the party.

I don't always love digital illustrations, but they worked very well for Hugo and Bella's story. I can see this being a great book for a story time.

[Lisa Fabiano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming story about the give and take of friendship. Hugo Hippo and Bella Bird are going to the Hippo-Bird (or is it Bird-Hippo) Fairy-Tale Fancy Dress Party together but they can't decide who will be the princess and who will be the pea or who will be the mermaid and who will be the rock or...they just can't agree. The humorous back and forth will induce giggles and the colorful illustrations will delight young readers.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this picture book of best friends (Hugo Hippo and Bella Bird) is trying to be a little too much like Elephant & Piggie. But that's OK because this is still a sweet & silly story of friendship and compromise as the duo decide what costumes to wear to the Hippo-Bird Fancy Dress Party. This is a perfect story-time read-aloud for 1 person who can do 2 voices well, or for 2 readers to read co-operatively.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about a bird an a hippo, both with strong opinions they are not afraid to voice. They have an argument over their costume for the party, but it all works out in the end. The narrative is dialog between the two characters, and It think it would be wonderful read or acted out between two people.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute and funny story of a hippo and a bird who are going to a party. Neither can decide on a couple costume and decide to go their seperate ways. A happy ending for all when these friends realize that their friendship & compramise is more imporatant than staying mad at each other.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute picture book with great read-aloud potential. For those who like books about friendship, hippos, birds or peas, this book where Hippo and Birdie are trying to find the perfect costumes for their party is sure to please! :)

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

British version of Elephant and Piggie maybe? A couple of good laughs but did not have the "perfect ending" that Willems is a master of. Still enjoyable and would work for a friendship, green things or party storytime.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute simple story of a hippo and his bird... Or is it a bird and his hippo?. This symbiotic couple does not always agree and might miss out on good times unless they can patch things up in time for the big party.

[sweet pea · Rating 4 out of 5]

despite it's inflammatory title, the characters come to the logical conclusion that - obviously - they want to be a pea. cute. hippos. costumes. cross dressing. parties. and, most importantly, sweet peas

[Library Quine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky tale about 2 friends who cannot decide what will they wear for a fancy dress party. Despite their disagreement friendship wins out. May be a little difficult for younger children to follow and understand, but a fun read with simple yet amusing pictures.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends, Hugo a hippo, and Bella, a bird, are invited to a fancy party. They end up fighting about what to wear to the party, but eventually are able to work out their differences. How they work out the conflict is both colorful and creative. A unique book!

[Silence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: Preschool / Grade School
Illustrations: Bright and cheery
Plot / Review: Friends don't always get along, but they do try to make it right in the end! This is a great pick for teaching compromise.
Read Aloud: Yes

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just delightful. A fun story with wonderful theme of friendship.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends argue and then make up. Charming and colorful.

[Thia]

friends, costumes,