EscapePeas wins national recognition from Reading With Your Kids

Dr. Sam and J.L. McCreedy’s picture book EscapePeas has been named a Certified Great Read by the Reading With Your Kids Podcast. The recognition spotlights the book’s message about persistence, teamwork, and creative problem solving, along with its classroom-friendly back matter.

Why it matters: - The Certified Great Read designation can help a children’s book stand out with parents, educators, and caregivers looking for reads that support family literacy. - EscapePeas is being recognized not just as a playful story, but as a book built around resilience, cooperation, and shared reading.

What happened: - Dr. Sam and J.L. McCreedy said EscapePeas was named a Certified Great Read by the Reading With Your Kids Podcast. - The recognition comes from a national family literacy platform focused on books that strengthen reading experiences at home. - Jed Doherty, host of the Reading With Your Kids Podcast, described the book as “a delightfully silly adventure that teaches children the power of persistence.”

The details: - EscapePeas follows advanced space peas whose spaceship is pulled toward a black hole. - The peas are forced to leave their ship and crash-land in a pea field in Lumignano, Italy. - The story sends the characters into unfamiliar terrain and a series of challenges. - The book centers on creativity, cooperation, and determination as the peas adapt to the unexpected landing. - Doherty said the book’s humor, colorful illustrations, and wordplay draw children in first. - Doherty added that the deeper message is that setbacks do not define young readers. - The review also highlighted the book’s back matter, including pea facts, vocabulary resources, and downloadable activities. - The McCreedys said they wrote the book to encourage children to laugh, imagine, and face challenges with curiosity. - EscapePeas is a read-aloud picture book with clever rhymes, memorable characters, and educational resources. - The book carries a Lexile measure of 550L. - The authors said formats for purchase are available on Amazon, PenelopePipp.com, the authors’ website, and other online booksellers.

Between the lines: - The award adds third-party validation to a book that blends entertainment with classroom and family-use features. - The praise for back matter suggests the book is being positioned as both a storytime pick and an educational tool. - The recognition also extends visibility for the authors, who live in Italy and have built a travel-shaped publishing story around their work.

What's next: - The McCreedys are likely to continue promoting EscapePeas across online booksellers and family-literacy audiences. - The recognition may help the book reach more schools, libraries, and parents looking for resilience-themed picture books. - The authors’ broader catalog could also benefit, including Theodore, The Sloth Who Wants to Race, which has already earned additional awards.

The bottom line: - EscapePeas is gaining attention as a fun picture book with a clear message: persistence, teamwork, and creativity can turn a setback into an adventure.