PEARL OF THE SEA

Young diver Pearl has always felt more comfortable in the sea, as she balances school and providing for her unemployed dad, turning up fish and the rare lost treasure from under the sea. The people in her sleepy South African town, including her dad, let her down, but when a new friend from below the surface--a sea monster named Otto--is taken by poachers, Pearl will fight for his survival and will need some help after all. Attractive and polished animation style, a fun read with lots to enjoy here. "Beautiful, spirited and gently romantic, Pearl of the Sea is an aquatic feast for the eyes and a coup for South African comics." - Richard Conynghan "The art evokes both the action of classic manga and the pristinely-framed storytelling of Herge's Tintin." - Luke Molver 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, if only 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 and especially the sea, seen through the eyes of a tough teen-aged heroine determined to live life by her own rules. "[E]ncapsulates everything that's great about visual storytelling...Highly recommended." - Charie Human, Apocalypse Now Now "...imaginative in ways I forgot comics could be...[A] charming, epic story." - Shofela Coker, Liyana Art Director & co-crator of New Masters