PEARL BARLEY AND CHARLIE PARSLEY

A friendship of opposites receives splendid visual treatment. Pearl Barley solves mysteries, chatters and “likes to run amok,” while bashful Charlie Parsley waters daisies, peruses The Benefits of Wearing Felt and hunkers down beneath a pile of pillows. Pearl motorcycle-jumps over a chasm balancing teacups on one foot and a fishbowl on the other, while red yarn swoops down from her wrist into the skein from which Charlie sits calmly knitting. Valiant Pearl’s sword and newspaper hat chase away Charlie’s fears as she confidently holds him piggyback; Charlie’s “lovely beside manner” comforts tired Pearl as he brings her warm milk. Blabey’s spirited and energetic paintings use acrylic and mixed media on textured board. Compositions vary boldly (Charlie’s shyness shows him peeping in from off-page), and deadpan humor runs throughout. The control of color shines: Low-intensity tertiary colors are highlighted with bright bits, while black-and-white pages reveal fatigue, fear, cold and feeling “small or lonely or just plain blue.” Make sure to note Charlie’s wonderfully expressive eyebrows; they, like this book, stand out. (Picture book. 3-6)