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Pearl

Pearl
By Molly Idle
Little Brown and Company, 2018. Picture book.

Pearl is a little mermaid who longs to look after the oceans like the other mermaids do. When she asks her mother what she can look after, Pearl is heartbroken when her mother hands her a single grain of sand. The other mermaids look after the vast coral reefs or giant sea creatures and Pearl is disappointed that her job is to watch one grain of sand when there are so many grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. But as her mother tells her, small things can make a big difference.

This is a beautiful and tender picture book with flowing text perfect for reading aloud. Molly Idle fans will find plenty to enjoy in the full spreads of watercolor illustrations that contrast a pink Pearl against the aquamarine ocean. As a big fan of mermaids and all things cute, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of this book and found it deeply satisfying. Mermaid fans of all ages are sure to feel the same.

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