Children look at the world differently. They see details that we sometimes overlook. A shell on the beach. Something that doesn't belong in the sea. The movement of wind, water, and everything alive. They look, feel, and wonder: what is that, exactly?

That curious gaze is precisely where our pea stories begin: with wonder!

What lies beneath the water?

In Erwtjes onder water, Pipa and her friends dive into a world full of wonder and adventure. There's plenty to discover beneath the surface: fruity sea creatures, cauliflower coral, and tiny details that raise questions. When Pipa sees trash on the seabed, she immediately feels that something is wrong. Children instinctively pick up on this, prompting them to look further, think, and ask questions.

A fruity discovery

There's also plenty to discover above water in Pipa's new picture book. Along the coast, windmills calmly turn, the sea comes and goes with the tide, and everything seems connected. These are recognizable elements from the real world, woven into an imaginative story that invites children to look further.

"Why do those blades turn, anyway?"
"What lives in the sea?"
"How do we collectively care for such a special place?"

By using such imagery in a story, space for curiosity and conversation about themes like nature, sustainability, and caring for everything that grows, lives, and moves on our earth subtly arises.

Why this works so well with young children

Stories help children feel and discover connections. They empathize with characters, recognize situations, and carry that sense of wonder into their own world. When Pipa sees something that makes her think, the same often happens to the child reading along.

Thus, Erwtjes onder water becomes more than just an exciting adventure story. It shows how fantasy and reality can touch each other and allows children to empathize and give their own meaning to what they discover.

The power of imagination

What children read often stays with them longer than we think. Sometimes in words, sometimes in play, sometimes in small questions in between. A rocket underwater... trash on the bottom... the fruitiest fish... A world that invites discovery!

Erwtjes onder water invites shared looking, talking, and dreaming. About everything that lives, moves, and grows, both above and below the surface.

And perhaps... that's the most beautiful way to introduce children to the world around them!

Discover Erwtjes onder water here