#360 of 1001 · July 26, 2021

As we transition from childhood to adulthood, we all eventually muster our confidence in our burgeoning skills and begin to take on responsibility, to discover our place in the world. For some of us it’s a gradual shift, but for others there’s a single point of transformation. In Pearl, written and illustrated by @mollyidle, the eponymous character (a wide-eyed, eager young mermaid) witnesses those around her caring for the undersea flora and fauna and dearly wishes to join in. Her mother gives her a seemingly insignificant grain of sand and explains that “Even the smallest of things can make a great difference.” Soon, to Pearl’s surprise, the little speck becomes a tiny pearl, which grows larger and larger until it floats up into the sky as a shimmering full moon, penetrating the surface of the water with its light and illuminating the realm below. Idle’s thoughtful and poetic text sparkles with powerful oceanic imagery and metaphor, following Pearl’s emotional journey from tender hope to deep disappointment to new awakening to tranquil understanding. Her luminous art achieves a sense of warmth and familiarity in its depiction of a fantastical marine world. The mermaids’ hair and tails mirror the aspects of the sea they are assigned to preserve: stony coral, seahorse fins, stalks of seaweed, squid tentacles, and (in the case of Pearl and her mother) seashells. #pearl #mermaid #mermaids #sea #ocean #sand #moon #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbooks #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks