“Pebbles and the Biggest Number” by Joey Benun

• 02/06/2023
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Pebbles and the Biggest Number

Joey Benun (author) Laura Watson (illustrator)
Independently Published (2023)
ISBN: 978-1737818601
Reviewed by Leigh Kimberly Zoby for Reader Views (01/2023)

“Pebbles and the Biggest Number” by Joey Benun is an adorable children’s story full of educational opportunities for numerous age groups and education levels. A curious little butterfly’s quest to learn all about numbers also ventures into environmental science, anatomy, vocabulary, and meteorology. During Pebbles the Butterfly’s investigation of how big a number can get, he visits different climates, ecosystems, and animals as he learns about measurements, temperatures, and numeric values. He faces climate challenges from deserts to the arctic, as well as difficult weather situations such as extreme heat and hurricanes.

Author Joey Benun strategically adds tidbits of knowledge alongside the story to add depth to Pebbles’ adventure while learning facts about numbers in the natural world. As “Pebbles and the Biggest Number” progresses, the numbers grow, requiring number notes for children to visualize their number words into their numerical values. Weights and distances are discussed in both the imperial system and metric systems. Temperature gauged in Fereignheit and Celcius. The information provided in the Science Spots and Did You Know sections is factual-based and researched for accuracy. 

The illustrations by Laura Watson are beautiful and create a playful layout that entices children to think about numbers and the world around them. Mr. Benun’s writing style is comfortable and educational while remaining fun to read. In preparation for writing this review, I invited my grandchildren over for storytime. Caroline, age 8, and Ella, age 3, fell in love with Pebbles, saying she was so cute. Ella enjoyed all the animals and was amazed by the crab facts. Caroline became enthralled by the hurricane and earthquake sections of Pebbles’ adventure. Since it was sprinkling outside, she wanted to search under leaves to find butterflies. We even practiced writing the infinity sign. As a former Montessori teacher and Homeschooling parent, I would have used this book during storytime, math, and science classes for ages 4 to 10. 

 “Pebbles and the Biggest Number” offers an impressive wealth of knowledge with numerous teachable moments for the parent to expand upon as their child grows. It is the perfect addition to any homeschool, daycare, or family library. I like the fact that “Pebbles and the Biggest Number” grows with the child. Pebbles the butterfly was a hit with our family, and I highly recommend it to anyone with young children.