The ordinary turns extraordinary when ten-year-old Pearl Twist of Brooklyn sets out on a magical escapade with her loyal companion, Lion, from the Prospect Park Carousel! Under the glow of the March full crow moon, Pearl and Lion meet feisty-feathered Crow, mind-reader Rosie, hungry Inchworm, and eleven-year-old John. When Crow discovers a passageway, they enter the curious, spellbinding City of Zinnia, a universe of endless possibilities created by thought.
Lion is so much more than Pearl’s magical best friend in this endearing tale; he’s “a welcome escape from the enduring grief and sadness of losing her father,” a mirrored counterpart of bravery and strength to Pearl’s own struggles with self-doubt and anxiety. Soles (author of Peace Came Over) crafts the pair’s adventure with loving care, spotlighting Pearl’s fears of abandonment against the greater context of the story’s themes on grief and friendship. The death of Pearl’s father years earlier plays a strong part in how she views and interacts with her new environment, as she and Lion meet mind reader Rosie, her friend Inchworm, and John, a mysterious boy who serves as their guide, of sorts, in the beautiful and sometimes dangerous Zinnia.
Soles’s vivid descriptions of Zinnia’s endlessly shifting landscapes, wildlife, and weather will delight readers of all ages, though they feel overdone at times. Lion’s happiness at his newfound freedom is uplifting, and it inspires Pearl to change her own life, as she learns to sacrifice herself for her friends and reflects on whether “it’s more important to give joy or to have joy.” This is a touching homage to the power of friendship and the delight of helping others.
Takeaway: Friendship and a magical adventure help a grieving girl heal.
Comparable Titles: Ross Welford’s Time Traveling with a Hamster, Cassie Beasley’s Circus Mirandus.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B+
Marketing copy: A
