Pearlie and the Big Doll by Wendy Harmer

Random House, 2010. (Deluxe edition). ISBN: 978 1864718218.
When cleaning the park one evening, Pearlie the Park Fairy discovers a lost doll which has been left behind by a visitor. Because the Dolly seems so sad to have lost her Little Girl, Pearlie enlists the help of all the park animals to give a wonderful concert to try and make Dolly happy. As the show occurs with the boot scooting Duck Family, Silky and Sulky the trapeze artist spiders, four acrobatic frogs, Brush and Sugar the singing possums, the rats, Scrag and Mr Flea, Dolly stops crying and begins to enjoy the performance.
Aimed at beginner readers, this series is perfectly targeted at young girls. The hot pink endpapers, glimmering cover and stylised art work, in addition to the paper doll which can be dressed in several different outfits, should make this a very appealing read and activity book for such an audience. During the concert, the rats, who have 'brushed their fur and cleaned their teeth', present some 'I say, I say' jokes and provide the type of humour bound to appeal to the young reader, showing that Harmer knows her audience well. Given that Pearlie has now been taken on by Nickelodeon as an animated cartoon series, the books will undoubtedly continue to gain even further popularity.
Jo Schenkel, Pilgrim School