Title: Pebbles and the Biggest Number
Author: Joey Benun
Illustrator: Laura Watson
Publisher: Joey Benun
ISBN: 1737818604
Pages: 48
Genre: Illustrated Children’s Book / Educational
Reviewed by: Barbara Miller

Read Book Review

I knew I was in for a treat when the review copy of Pebbles and the Biggest Number arrived in our office; as it was wonderfully gift-wrapped, and had additional items included such as stickers with illustrations of the characters from the book, as well as a long list of intellectual contributors to the creation of this work-of-educational-art.

Author Joey Benun sought a team of associates to fact-check, proof-read and help edit this amazing collaboration of talent.  Most notably is the artwork by Laura Watson, bringing in a fanciful character, Pebbles, a butterfly, seeking the answer to the question, “what is the largest number?”  Surely everyone knows thousands, millions, billions and even trillions, but it goes up from there!  Even adults will be challenged to say how many “zeros” are in a:  quadrillion; quintillion; sextillion; and to skip a few, how about a nonillion.  Each number comes with a practical example, as the Earth has a nonillion grains of sand in it.  Onward to Infinity, which is not exactly a number, but a word defining the largest number that exists. (So, there isn’t a correct number of Infinity + 1, because it would = simply Infinity).  Oh, by the way, “a zillion, gazillion, and katrillion” aren’t real numbers, just made-up words.

Pebbles is a brightly orange colored Monarch butterfly with black outlines and a happy face.  As its journey begins, it talks to various personified animals, birds, and insects, each pointing out examples of the number being discussed.  There is an element of curiosity which dominates the theme, but it also includes some life-threatening moments of adventure, and a healthy dose of comic relief.  The book dichotomizes fun-facts with narration, offering a bounty of information to the readers to absorb and learn.  I personally feel the young reading audience (as well as any adults reading this book to their children) will ultimately memorize the exponential levels of the number-nomenclature, giving them an advantage in this “Googleplex” future upon us.

The hardcover version is excellently printed, and would be my suggestion to buy for a single-digit birthday gift, baby shower, or just to keep in one’s family library.  It has all of the elements for adventure, masking the learning aspect and memorization making it 100% fun.  After all, children love to learn, and who better a teacher than a beautiful butterfly named Pebbles.