Little Pearl hates her name because it isn’t fancy enough–the other girls in her school have names like “Elianna” or “Allegra”, while she is stuck with being plain “Pearl”. So her Nanny decides to tell her a bedtime story about Oliver, the oyster and his toothache, in order to explain the real meaning behind her name. Clare McBride’s book, PEARL LOVES HER NAME, works brilliantly on three fronts. One, it teaches children that there’s often a special and lovely meaning behind their names, even if the meaning is initially hidden. Two, the tale offers a wonderful way to explain to kids how a pearl is formed within an oyster, without delving into any scientific jargon. Three, the oyster’s story comes with the moral that all good things require patience and dedication and that what seems unlikable or plain at first may soon turn out to be precious and beautiful.
This children’s title makes for a perfect bedtime read and comes with adorable illustrations by Stefane St. Denis. Given that the main story takes place at bedtime and Oliver’s story is set underwater, the illustrator carefully blends the blues and greens in the background, to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The bit where Oliver and his mother visit the dentist for his toothache is vibrantly drawn and colored and is sure to delight young readers. And the page numbers are printed on oyster shells, which adds a nice, thematic touch. As far as the text, Pearl’s feelings of not being as “cool” as her classmates because of her name, are emotions that children will find relatable, and this story may prompt them to discover the true meaning of their own names. The one criticism is that the text seems a tad too simple, and it might have been better if we learned more about Pearl’s home and school life, along with a few more vibrant underwater illustrations. Nevertheless, PEARL LOVES HER NAME by Clare McBride is a fun and delightful read that teaches children how important it is to be patient and inspires them to uncover their own worth.
PEARL LOVES HER NAME by Clare McBride is an adorable and educational bedtime story that teaches children how a pearl is formed, even as it inspires them to realize their own worth, accompanied by Stefane St. Denis’ gorgeous illustrations.
~Archita Mittra for IndieReader