Pearl
by
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When Pearl next opened her eyes, the sun hung low in sky, and the soft gray fog was beginning to creep in. She scanned up and down the beach – most of the harbor seals Pearl knew by sight were hauled out onto the dry sand, ready to rest for the night. A few bobbed nearby in the quiet ocean, noses tilted up to breathe while they slept. But where was the Black Pearl? A sense of urgency came over Pearl – her mother had hauled out on this beach or the nearby islands every night of Pearl’s short life. Where was she? In a panic, Pearl began to heave her way down to the water’s edge, intent upon swimming out to look for her mother.
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About the Book
Pearl is a young harbor seal, struggling to understand the secrets of a changing ocean. She is also trying to understand her mother, the Black Pearl, one of the most respected and feared members of the seal community.
The Black Pearl is hard on her daughter but tells Pearl that she must grow stronger and faster, readying herself for danger to come. “We are the guardians of our own future,” her mother says. Slowly, Pearl gains independence, learning about the dangers that lurk in her ocean environment, including thinning kelp forests, great white sharks, and deadly orca.
When the Black Pearl is injured, she tells her daughter Pearl that she —with her strength and speed—is the only one with any hope of protecting the other seals. By fighting to survive the ocean’s dangers, Pearl grows braver, just like her mother. Balancing the ancient ways of the seal folk with the challenges posed by the modern world, Pearl comes to a deep understanding of the sacrifices it will take for her and her community to survive and thrive.
About the Author
Deidre Harrison is an educator, nature lover, and grandmother. She lives in Northern California with her husband and her Labradoodle Maeve.