Pebbles and the Biggest Number [Hardcover]

Even the youngest children know big numbers: a thousand, a million, even a billion! But what comes next? A curious butterfly named Pebbles wants to know, too. Follow Pebbles’ globetrotting adventure and meet animal friends in exotic landscapes. From idyllic butterfly fields to scorching deserts, vast oceans, and the splendors of space, Pebbles is always eager to explore. This fact-filled science book for kids is overflowing with vibrant illustrations that pull the story forward. Even as the numbers grow to unimaginable sizes, author Joey Benun finds imaginative ways to help kids grasp the concept. Big ideas feel manageable when compared to relatable, everyday objects, like sand and stars. Reading about math is even more fun with ‘Did You Know?’ trivia, ‘Number Notes’, and ‘Science Spots’ on every page! Pebbles and the Biggest Number is perfect for independent elementary readers or a read-with-me introduction to toddler math. Plus, there’s so much to re-read and explore after the story. Dig deeper with a kid-friendly science glossary, fascinating number visualizer, and supplemental online activities. Will Pebbles ever find the biggest number? Flutter in and find out!

Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 48
Size: 11" x 9"
Reading age: 5 - 8 years
Language: English
Publisher: Joey Benun (January 24, 2023)
ISBN-10: 1737818604
ISBN-13: 978-1737818601

Pebbles and the Biggest Number [Hardcover]
A STEM Adventure for Kids
By: Joey Benun
Brooke Vitale (Editor)
Laura Watson (Illustrator)

About the author:
Joey Benun has always thought BIG. His fascination with numbers began when he was five years old—the bigger, the better. Years later, a fortuitous conversation with his niece and nephews inspired him to write a book about BIG numbers for little kids. Thus, Pebbles and the Biggest Number was born! Years before Pebbles took flight, nine-year-old Joey wrote his first comic book series about a disgruntled ketchup packet who resents being discarded and turns into The Ketchup Monster.
Today, Joey works and lives in Brooklyn, New York, as an Amazon account manager for his family-owned apparel business, The Bentex Group. During his free time, he enjoys engaging in religious studies, listening to TED Talks, and playing tennis.

Editorial Reviews
Here’s what professionals are saying about Pebbles and the Biggest Number!:

This book simplifies complicated mathematical concepts and makes learning about them fun.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review
book review by Sarah Poulette

In the exhilarating and informative picture book Pebbles and the Biggest Number, a butterfly’s horizons expand as he learns about the environments of Earth and outer space.

In Joey Benun’s educational picture book Pebbles and the Biggest Number, a butterfly traverses the world in search of the highest number and learns about Earth and animals along the way.

Pebbles is a monarch butterfly with forty-two flowers in his garden; it’s the biggest number he knows. He wonders how large numbers can get and embarks on a trip around the world to find out. As he travels, Pebbles encounters a diverse array of animals who educate him on numbers, biology, and ecology.

Pebbles asks animals in various climates, from a camel in a desert to a dolphin in the ocean to a human scientist in a lab, what the biggest number they know is. He learns how many volts of electricity are in a lightning bolt, how many grains of sand there are on Earth, and how many atoms make up a human body. As the biggest number he knows grows from forty-two to one nonillion, Pebbles becomes more awed by the universe. The expansion of his perspective culminates in his discovery of the concept of infinity.

The story progresses from the smallest to the largest number, with Pebbles being carried from one scene to the next via natural phenomena that correspond to his settings, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and avalanches. Fascinating facts align with each setting, with Pebbles learning about the world’s tallest sandcastle and the weight of Earth’s atmosphere as a gust of wind sends him tumbling from a beach into the sky. The repeated refrain of Pebbles asking the same question to an animal before being hurtled along is a reliable structural framework upon which the astounding amount of information provided hangs. Approachable language, a friendly voice, and an informative glossary make this book age appropriate and accessible, even in its discussions of mathematical and scientific concepts.

The illustrations are vibrant, bold, and colorful. The exhilarating facts about animals and environments are offset from Pebbles’s story so as to add to, rather than distract from, his adventure. Organized into “science spots”, “number notes,” and “fun facts,” this supplementary text is as attractive as the imagery that complements Pebbles’s adventure. The tiniest cartoon insect and the vastest expanse of stars are given the same attention to detail. Expressive faces, wiggles to signify the vibrations of a trembling earthquake or a gust of wind, and the curls of ocean waves breathe life into the dynamic tale.

Pebbles and the Biggest Number is an informative picture book that packs an extraordinary amount of eye-opening information into the story of a curious butterfly.
Reviewed by Aimee Jodoin
March 22, 2023