Review by Ian Keogh

Pearl lives in a dead end community near the sea where most people have difficulty making ends meet, including her father. The main employment is at the local fish factory, but there is a little money to be made on the side via illegal fishing. Pearl is a very confident underwater swimmer, and uses her talent to poach the occasional lobster.

Pearl of the Sea is charming, all the more remarkable for the vast number of creators noted. Anthony Silverston, Raffaela Delle Donne and Willem Samuel are credited for the story, and Samuel for the layouts, while Gabriella Camarillo, Kay Carmichael and Jesse Ochse also supply layouts, with Ochse handling the inking and lettering. Considering so many artists contribute, with another responsible for the colour, the style is remarkably consistent, clean and rich with personality, the cartooning lively and expressive.

Beyond being a seaside community there’s no indication where in the world Pearl lives, but her character is well developed as good natured and courageous, and during one of her undersea trips in restricted territory she encounters the unknown. It’s life-changing, and Pearl’s fortunes improve, but along with that comes a necessity to protect her secret in a story that at times seems a playful sequel to Moby Dick’s basic premise.

The strength of character and adventurous spirit Pearl displays throughout ensure young readers will be captivated by her and invested in what happens to her. It builds well to a crisis point, and the animation-like cartooning indicates that despite not all being well to begin with, this isn’t a story destined to end in tragedy. All in all, satisfaction guaranteed.