Pearl

Idle (Flora and the Flamingo) creates an undersea realm of mermaids whose graceful swoops and swirls offer visual delight. Pearl longs to be like the other mermaids, each of whom is assigned something to watch over—vast forests of kelp, giant creatures of the deep. When her mother gives her a single grain of sand, she’s heartbroken. “Her heart grew heavy, and the weight of it pulled her down... down... down...” tumbling through the sea of blue until she sinks to the sea floor. But soon she discovers something special about her grain of sand: it glows and grows, and the story soars toward a light-filled, celestial conclusion. The text reads smoothly and naturally, like a retelling of an old fairy tale, and balletic spreads revel in the contrast between the intense pink of the mermaids and the soft aqua of the undersea world. The reminder not to scorn that which appears insignificant is always worth repeating, but here, it’s the enthralling underwater acrobatics that will bring readers back. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.) [/em]