2021-03-08 Publishers Weekly

BOOKLIFE.COM 75

MIDDLE GRADE

Princess Sabrina and

the Pot of Gold

Michael Pellico | Moonbow

Publishing

68p, hardcover, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-

733-91303-4

Pellico’s illustrated middle

grade thriller brings a fresh

twist to the familiar myth

about the pot of gold at the end

of the rainbow. When curious

pre-teens on an Irish vacation

swipe a shimmering, myste-

rious fortune, they get whisked away to the magical land of the

Leprechauns. They discover a kingdom in disarray, with a false

ruler in power and the true queen, Sabrina, imprisoned in a

dungeon. To help Sabrina restore health and prosperity to her

land and overpower the king’s army, the kids must rely on their

own innate abilities – as well as a little otherworldly assistance.

Young readers will find this book engrossing, as it has all the

trappings of an epic battle between good and evil: terrifying

creatures, magical powers, deceit, and even romance, as

Avery, the book’s 15-year-old hero, experiences intense (and

mutual) feelings of attraction for Sabrina. Malane Newman’s

bright, appealing illustrations give the story meaning and

depth, imbuing each character with charisma that is some-

times lacking in the text. The most charming are Sabrina and

her brother, Riordan, who have glittering green hair and

pointed, elf-like ears. While the characters’ traditional journey

won’t feel particularly fresh to

older kids steeped in adven-

ture storytelling, Princess

Sabrina has plenty of

suspense to spark the imagi-

nations of the under-13 crowd.

A medical researcher and

film producer, Pellico writes

like someone who has spent a

lot of time telling stories to kids

• particularly his niece,
  Sabrina, who inspired this tale.
  The descriptions of the charac-
  ters and the scenery are
  straightforward enough for
  children of all ages to grasp,
  and the uncomplicated
  phrasing makes this novel
  ideal for emerging readers.
  Pre-teen fantasy and science
  fiction fans will enjoy this dive
  into the mythical world at the
  end of the rainbow and will
  easily relate to the characters’
  experience of self-discovery.

PICTURE BOOKS
The Perfect
Christmas Tree
Michael Pellico |
Moonbow Publishing
32p, hardcover, $11.99,
ISBN 978-1-733-91306-5
In this seasonal
picture book, Pellico
explores what chop-
ping down the perfect
Christmas tree looks
like from the ever-
green’s point of view. Unlike human children, the trees see
Christmas as a time of terror, as they risk being hacked down
and hauled away from their home and family. To avoid this fate,
one wise pine implores its children to grow up ugly, with
twisted branches and bald spots. But a tree named Little
Stevie is determined to be tall and beautiful, even as his
siblings heed their father’s advice. When a human family
arrives that winter with saws and axes in hand, Stevie risks
paying a stiff price for his vanity.
This book’s two-part message is fairly straightforward: It’s
always best to listen to your parents, and relationships are more
important than pride. The way this lesson is delivered will leave
some particularly inquisitive youngsters with questions—many
families view getting a Christmas tree as a joyous tradition, but
the trees in this tale aim to avoid becoming a holiday centerpiece
all costs, making the human family seem almost villainous by
comparison. After he “learns his lesson,” Little Stevie also has a
fortuitous encounter with a gnomish, magical mystery man who
bursts up out of the ground, which some older kids will find more
confusing than cute.
Malane Newman’s vibrant
illustrations are sweet and
charming, softening the tale’s
somewhat menacing under-
tones. The trees have human-
like faces and arms, allowing
them to communicate with
each other and express
emotions that children will
recognize, while still remaining
verdantly tree-like. On the
whole, younger kids will enjoy
this book about accepting
parental advice and learning
the drawbacks of selfishness
and arrogance—though
parents should be prepared to
assuage any concerns it may
spark, particularly the down-
side of ephemeral displays of
festivity and what it means to
be “ugly” in the first place.

This middle grade

fantasy thriller will

capture imaginations

with its journey

through the mythical

world at the end of

the rainbow.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design & typography: B
Illustrations: B+
Editing: B-
Marketing copy: B

Production grades

Cover: B

Design & typography: B

Illustrations: B+

Editing: B-

Marketing copy: B-

Told from a tree’s

point of view, this

seasonal picture

book will help young

kids learn the im-

portance of accept-

ing parental advice.

PAID REVIEWS

Great for fans of

Leslie Crawford’s

Spring the Rescue Pig,

Loren Long’s Little Tree.

Great for fans of

Zack Loran Clark and

Nick Eliopulos’s The

Adventurers Guild,

Connie Glynn’s

Undercover Princess.