Amalia Hoffman is an award winning author/illustrator. She has also designed props for Israel’s children theater and contributed to Highlights magazine. Amalia lives in Westchester, New York, where she loves to work in her vegetable garden and dream about space.

Imagine what would happen if fresh veggies could go on a cosmic adventure! Well, in Amalia Hoffman's "Astro Pea" board book, children can blast off with Pete the pea and find out what he discovers outside his pod. Pete joins other curiously shaped vegetables such as an eggplant, artichoke, cauliflower, ear of corn, and mushroom as they each take a starring role in this creative tale of space exploration, daring, and friendship. Who knew healthy food could be so much fun? "Astro Pea" allows a child's imagination run out into space and back again as ordinary vegetables take on a whole new meaning! Fun, original, and thoroughly 'kid friendly', "Astro Pea" is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, kindergarten, and community library board book collections for young readers. -- Midwest Book Review, Children's Bookwatch

It’s a fun story about space and exploring, and a sweet story about making new friends. The artwork is bright, with primary colors leaping off the jet black background of outer space. The anthropomorphic veggies have smiley little faces, and the simple artwork and text makes for an attention-grabbing storytime selection. Display, booktalk, and read Astro Pea with your healthy eating books, like Eating the Rainbow by Rena D. Grossman and Lois Ehlert’s classics, Growing Vegetable Soup or Eating the Alphabet. -- Rosemary Kiladitis, Mom Read It