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Summary
Summary
Caldecott Honor author-illustrator Molly Idle dazzles with an original mermaid tale about how small, persistent actions can achieve great things.
Sometimes the tiniest light can shine the brightest! Like the other mermaids of the deep, Pearl longs to care for the endless beaches, coral reefs, and towering kelp forests of her vast ocean world. So when her mother asks her to tend to a mere grain of sand, Pearl is heartbroken. It takes all her patience and determination to discover how even the littlest mermaid can transform the world.
Caldecott Honor-winning author and artist Molly Idle has masterfully crafted a modern classic in this mesmerizing tale about the immense power of small actions.
Author Notes
Molly Idle 's work as an author-illustrator includes the Caldecott Honor Book Flora and the Flamingo , Flora and the Penguin , Flora and the Peacocks , Flora and the Chicks , Flora and the Ostrich , and Tea Rex , Camp Rex , Sea Rex , and Santa Rex , among other books. She lives with her family in Arizona, and invites you to visit her at idleillustration.com.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-There are many aspects of an ocean a mermaid might be assigned to watch over: coral reefs, sand beaches, or the living creatures beneath the surface. So young mermaid Pearl is disappointed and saddened to learn that she is to "look after" a single grain of sand. Though reluctant to accept such an insignificant charge, she complies when her mother tells her "The smallest of things can make a great difference." The child takes her responsibility seriously and as she watches, her grain of sand grows bigger and brighter. Beautiful Prismacolor pencil drawings in the blues, greens, and teals of the sea are soft and soothing; additional touches of white and brilliant pink fairly leap off the pages. The white text is placed in a variety of locations throughout the story but, unfortunately, fades and becomes difficult to read on several pages where positioned over a pale portion of the illustration. VERDICT Idle's appealing story is a quiet, charming pourquoi tale that will delight young readers and listeners. Perfect for bedtime or anytime sharing.-Maryann H. Owen, Oak Creek Public Library WI © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
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. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Young mermaid Pearl longs to make a useful contribution to her undersea environment. All the other mermaids have important jobs to do: tending the kelp forests, protecting the coral reefs, looking after the sea creatures. But when Pearls mother finally does entrust her with a task, it is a small one?protecting a single grain of sandand the little mermaid is frustrated by the seeming unimportance of her responsibility. (A wave of disappointment washed over her, reads the sensory text.) What makes this grain of sand special is revealed in a luminous sequence of illustrations that leads the storyrevealed to be a very stylish original pourquoi taleto its satisfying conclusion. Idles color palette is stunning in its depth and the gradation of undersea huesblues and greens, turquoise, and the dazzling opalescence of Pearls grain of sand, all rendered in sharp and clear colored pencil. Flora and the Flamingo (rev. 7/13) fans, never fear: Idles trademark pink is used to illustrate Floras mermaid body, rosy cheeks, and clamshell bed, not to mention an otherwise realistically and dramatically rendered giant octopus. elissa Gershowitz (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A tiny mermaid who yearns for grown-up work patiently completes a task that transforms her world. For her fable about patience and perseverance, Idle has created stunning watery spreads full of curves reflecting the gently scalloped edges of the giant clam that is Pearl's home. Done with colored pencils in shades of pink and white for the mermaid and soft blues fading to green sea, these suggest an animator's dream. Her ocean has breaking waves, softly colored coral reefs, "towering forests of kelp," and a giantbut never threateningoctopus. The tiny grain of sand Pearl's mother gives her to care for seems insignificant in comparison, but with time, careful nurturing, and polishing, it grows and glows, finally taking its place in the night sky to light up her world. The lyrical text perfectly matches these stunning illustrations. As Pearl and her mother "[swim] upand upand up" the figures rise and the color of the sea lightens. Disappointment at the seemingly trivial task she's assigned weighs her "downdowndown," and she slowly sinks back into darker depths. After many scenes showing the small mermaid in a larger sea, a close-up of her face as she discovers the sand's potential emphasizes her new understanding. Careful word choice and thoughtful phrasing make this a pleasure to read aloud.A gentle, glowing lesson that even the smallest efforts can lead to large, even environmental results. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Magical curving mermaids floating in a vast sea of blue have various jobs that little Pearl envies. They watch over the breaking waves on the beaches, tend the great coral reefs and kelp forests, and guard the mighty octopus and other giants of the deep. Mother says Pearl's job is to care for a tiny grain of sand, because The smallest of things can make a great difference. Although dismayed, every day she polishes it, keeping it close until it begins to grow, glowing with a lustrous light. Eventually it rises as a giant ball and settles in the vast sea of stars. Lit by the moon's glowing light, a beaming Pearl swims to rest on a pink seashell in her watery home. Illustrations in Prismacolor pencils contrast the azure, cerulean, and indigo of the sea with the soft white lights of the moon and surf. Pearl pops in pink, surrounded by glorious marine flora and fauna. Every picture is full bleed in double spreads, immersing readers in the glorious ocean environment.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist