Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley

Aaron Blabey
Front Street/Boyds Mills Press

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are as opposite as night and day. But everyone knows that old saying about opposites! So it comes as no surprise that Pearl and Charlie are the very best of friends. Kids will learn that our differences make us unique and that each person is just as valuable as the next.

Pearl Barley is boisterous, inquisitive, and forgetful. Charlie Parsley is quiet, shy and responsible. As different as two people can be, and yet these differences are what make for a wonderful friendship. When Charlie Parsley feels lonely or sad, Pearl Barley is quick to cheer him up. Or when Pearl has run herself amok, Charlie is the one who calms her down.

The accompanying illustrations are wonderful - lovely large scale drawings on each page. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley shine in beautiful colors against very simple backgrounds. There's a quiet humor here that adults will appreciate, and a simplicity that everyone will enjoy. As a result, the entire book is an absolute pleasure.