The Secret of the Magic Pearl
By Elisa Sabatinelli & Iacopo Bruno
Translated by Christopher Turner
$12.99
92 pages • Paperback • Ages 6-10 • 8” x 9.25" •
ISBN: 978-1-63655-148-7 • Available March 3, 2025
Hector lives with his family at the Marina in an Italian coastal town where they organize tourist expeditions to explore the many wonders of the sea. Hector’s dream is to become a deep-sea diver, just like his father. Then, one day, an unscrupulous entrepreneur opens a much newer center next door, forcing them to close their business. This man has a single purpose, to find the legendary Pearl in order to sell it and make money. Hector decides to find a way to thwart the plan and save what matters most to him: the sea, his family, and his dream.
What they’re are saying about this book…
One of the 150 Most Anticipated Books of the Fall –Kirkus
One of 8 middle grade books to read this Fall –Kirkus
“Beautifully illustrated with magical pictures by Iacopo Bruno, this Italian fantasy by Elisa Sabatinelli takes us to a village out of time with a boy who loves the ocean and dreams of diving like his father and grandfather before him. Keep an eye out for this book and the other titles from Red Comet Press! Bravo!”
– Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medal Winner
“Beautiful, remarkable, amazing, and wonderful in every way. Sabatinelli provides Hector with a voice that soars with lilting, expressive language … Bruno’s intensely bright, sharply hued illustrations are a tour de force … Hector is wise, kind, and readers will take him to their hearts.”
—Kirkus (Starred Review)
“Sabatinelli, making her children’s debut, narrates deliberately, swinging between reflection and adventure. Diving scenes and undersea sensations are vividly described, all translated with skill and flair by Turner.
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Relishing all the details from beginning to end…It will enchant readers in the same way that stories by Kate DiCamillo do.”
–Randomly Reading
“After reading The Secret of the Magic Pearl, I want to move straight to the tiny Italian fishing village where its hero Hector lives, and become a deep sea diver like him. ”
–Paul O. Zelinsky, Caldecott Medal Winner
“Looking for a mysterious, fascinating, frightening, wonderful, perfectly illustrated tale from the depths of the sea? You are in luck. The Magic Pearl is calling you”
— Jon Scieszka, First National Ambassador of Youth People’s Literature
“Spellbinding.
We definitely recommend it.”
– The Baby Bookworm
It’s Iacopo Bruno’s illustrations that make it a truly enchanting read.”
– BookPage
“One of the most beautiful children's books I’ve ever seen.”
– The Salty Bookworm
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