The Hunt for the Magic Pearl
by Shirley Perry-Church, Illustrated by Shirley Perry-Church

The Hunt for the Magic Pearl is the first in a series of planned books that will be filled with colorful illustrations, rich vocabulary, informative, and fun content. Shirley Perry-Church believes that every child should find mystery, adventure, discovery, exploration, stimulating challenges, and identity during the reading process. She knows that given a chance, every child can learn to read.

Once, long ago, in the deepest parts of a mighty ocean, beautiful mermaids lived in Merland, a magical place surrounded by all sorts of creatures including every kind of fish imaginable, pods of playful dolphins, the grandest and wisest of whales, magnificent shellfish, and abundant sea treasures.

In Merland, the most sought-after treasure by all mermaids was the magic pearl, held by the elusive great oyster. The magic of the pearl was said to offer any mermaid who found it unimaginable beauty and powers beyond belief. It was the dream and desire of every mermaid to discover the great oyster with the magic pearl.

In The Hunt for the Magic Pearl, three beautiful, smart, and fun-loving mermaids embark on a treasure hunt to find the pearl. During their quest, Shimmer, StarFire, and Little SeaStar experience many exciting and dangerous feats. Together, they must find the courage and wisdom to outwit a monstrous, blood-thirsty shark and its band of mermaid killers.

Filled with colorful illustrations, this children’s fantasy book (1st of a series) shares the journey of three orphaned mermaids in the kingdom of Merland—an interactive story that captures the imagination of young girls, parents, teachers, and the young at heart.

Read more about this book’s backstory in Shirley Perry-Church’s article “Part One: Diversity is not Racism, I Just Wanted Them to Look like Me.”