Coral

During the quarrel, both color and background fade away. Coral goes white with anger, reflecting the color of a distressed reef, before her color returns as they reconcile. Words and pictures also cooperate to deliver a gentle but important lesson. 

An appealing variety of perspectives are used to create the charming margin-to-margin pictures. This gentle tale's morals of caring for our friends and working together to take responsibility for our environment are important messages for young children.

PreS-Gr 1--In this companion to Pearl, Idle tells the tale of three mermaids--Coral, who creates the reef; Filly, who looks after the fish in the reef; and Manta, who raises the sharks and rays that eat the reef fish, keeping it in balance. The three live in harmony, each doing their part to keep the reef healthy, until one day Coral finds an empty hollow in the reef and decides that she wants to be alone and keep it to herself. When her friends find her there, in a flash of anger, she banishes them from her empty spot on the reef. Amid a now colorless, lifeless reef, Coral realizes her mistake and she sets out to make it right. A full-page spread with Coral on one side shows her reaching out to her friends on the opposite side. She tells them she can't make it a home without them. The three then restore life--and color--back to the reef, making it their home again. The colorful illustrations are reminiscent of an animated, kid-friendly short film and will appeal to young readers. VERDICT A vibrant offering with an environmentally friendly message about collaboration and the interconnectedness that exists in nature and life in order to maintain an essential balance and optimal results. Fans of the first installment will be thrilled with this follow-up.--Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn