Pearl of the Sea - by Anthony Silverston & Raffaella Delle Donne (Paperback)

About the Book

"Pearl has always felt more comfortable in the sea than surrounded by the people in her sleepy South African town who always seem to let her down. But when a new friend from below the surface is taken by poachers, Pearl may need a little help after all. Since her mother left, Pearl has spent more and more time in the ocean, fishing to help her father pay the bills. But when she gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck, Pearl meets an ancient sea monster named Otto--who isn't quite as monstrous as she thought. And when Otto's enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others--including the girl from class she's got a crush on. With her one-eyed pup sidekick and a whole lot of nerve, Pearl may just be able to save Otto and finally tell the truth to her father... and, more importantly, to herself. With vibrant full-color illustrations, Pearl of the Sea is a South African adventure story exploring how we are both bound to and freed by nature, seen through the eyes of a tough teen-aged heroine determined to live life by her own rules"--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

FROM THE AWARD-WINNING ANIMATION TEAM BEHIND THE FILMS KHUMBA, ZAMBEZIA, AND SEAL TEAM

2024 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

2023 ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children

Pearl has always felt more comfortable in the sea than surrounded by the people in her sleepy South African town who always seem to let her down. But when a new friend from below the surface is taken by poachers, Pearl may need a little help after all.

Since her mother left, Pearl has spent more and more time in the ocean, fishing to help her father pay the bills. But when she gets mixed up with a group of illegal abalone poachers and starts diving near a restricted wreck, Pearl meets an ancient sea monster named Otto-who isn't quite as monstrous as she thought. And when Otto's enemies come back to finish what they started, Pearl is the only one who can save him, but only if she has the courage to let go of her past and open up to others--including the girl from class she's got a crush on.

With her one-eyed pup sidekick and a whole lot of nerve, Pearl may just be able to save Otto and finally tell the truth to her father... and, more importantly, to herself. With vibrant full-color illustrations, Pearl of the Sea is a South African adventure story exploring how we are both bound to and freed by nature, seen through the eyes of a tough teen-aged heroine determined to live life by her own rules.

Review Quotes

2024 YALSA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

2023 YALSA Top Ten Comic Book Companions

2023 ALA Best Graphic Novels for Children

2024-25 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee, Graphic Novel Grades 6-8 Category

"The February Must-Have List"-Animation Magazine

"[A] stupendous WOW. [...] Into an undeniably exhilarating narrative, the South African creative team manages to deftly weave in resonating issues, from environmental destruction to socioeconomic struggles to familial dysfunctions. Silverston, Samuel, and Delle Donne are undoubtedly master storytellers, while Samuel's intricate artistry brings magic to every page." --Booklist (starred review)

"A heartfelt tale. The detailed illustrations do the heavy lifting in many of the wordless panels as the vibrant colors and dynamic linework bring Pearl's beloved ocean to life. This steady coming-of-age journey tackles the complexities of poaching while showcasing Pearl's journey to let people into her life." --Kirkus Reviews

[A] heartwarming, adventurous sea tale. [...] Stunning, vibrant illustrations with deep hues of color bring Pearl's sea adventure to life. A fast-paced graphic novel about making friends in unlikely places and opening up your heart after experiencing grief." --School Library Journal

"The colorful art does a wonderful job of capturing the beauty of the sea and the ramshackle nature of Pearl's hometown. Of particular note are several continuous pages of wide, double-page panels, which, along with theoccasional full-page spreads, result in an immersive, cinematic scope. Pearl of the Sea is a vibrant coastal coming-of-age story with secrets, monsters, and thrills throughout." -- Foreword Reviews

"Teenage diver Pearl befriends an octopean sea monster of mythical proportions in this uplifting graphic novel. [...] Full-color illustrations by Samuel depict ethereal ocean depths in deep navy and electric blue hues. Pearl's struggles with loneliness and feelings of being an outsider are rendered via Silverston and Delle Donne's empathetic and humorous dialogue, making for a winning story of friendship, nature, and trust." -- Publishers Weekly

"Compelling and original [...] highly recommended for personal reading lists, as well as middle school and community library Graphic Novel collections for young readers."-- Midwest Book Review

"Pearl of the Sea is a beautiful graphic novel that will have great appeal to a wide range of readers. Gorgeous blues and underwater scenes make this book utterly enchanting... I can't wait to add [it] to our school library's collection." - Madison Dearnaley, Head of Library Services at St Paul's School, Brisbane

About the Author

Anthony Silverston is partner and Head of Development at Triggerfish Animation Studios in South Africa where he is currently overseeing a slate of projects in development and production. These include Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, an anthology of 10 short films in production with Disney+, Mama K's Team 4 with Netflix, and Kiya with Disney, eOne and Frogbox, as well as a number of feature films and TV series in development with various partners. In 2015, he oversaw the Story Lab, an initiative where 4 feature films and 4 TV series were chosen to be developed after a continent-wide search that drew almost 1400 entries. He also directed and co-wrote the feature film Khumba, which premiered in competition at Annecy International Animation Festival in 2013. The script, co-written with Raffaella Delle Donne, won a major UK scriptwriting competition in 2006 and was the first animation selected for No Borders Co-Production Market in its 30-year history. He has produced and written on Seal Team (released globally in December 2021 on Netflix), as well as Triggerfish's first feature Zambezia. Silverston was also producer of the short film Belly Flop which screened at over 135 festivals and won 14 awards, and the Blender short film, Troll Girl. Before joining Triggerfish, he completed three independent stop-motion shorts of his own. He is also a published Microbiologist, which is a fact that has become increasingly less useful over the years.

Raffaella Delle Donne has over fifteen years of experience in the animation industry developing and creating content for Disney, eOne, Wekids, Snipple Animation, Netflix, Baobab Studios and Triggerfish Animation Studios. She was the TV Development Executive for the Triggerfish Studios/Disney Storylab that incubated Mama K's Team 4 and co-wrote the award-winning features Adventures in Zambezia and Khumba. Raffaella is currently a writer and Executive Creative Consultant on Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes, a new preschool show slated for release on Disney.

Willem Samuel is a visual artist working in animation and comic books. His autobiographical novel, Mengelmoes, was published in the UK by Soaring Penguin Press in 2016 to critical acclaim. His comic work has featured in zines internationally, including the cult series Bitterkomix and in cyberspace via the award-winning online anthology Aces Weekly, brainchild of David Lloyd (V for Vendetta). Previously, Willem Art Directed the pan-African comic Supa Strikas, which was adapted into an animated series. More recently he served as Head of Story on the animated feature Seal Team as well as creating concept art for the Warhammer+ streaming series, Hammer & Bolter.