Maya's Treasure

by Laurie Smollett Kutscera

Overview

Each morning, when the sun rises, Maya and her sister, Alita, go to the shore to collect the beautiful seashells the waves wash up onto the beach overnight. The sisters scrub their finds until they sparkle like stars, then string them together to make beautiful treasures they can sell to the people of their island village. When Alita throws away shells she deems too broken or ugly, Maya collects them and remembers the words of her grandmother: “Even the tiniest nub can be quite beautiful. You just have to find the magic in it.” But can she turn these clunky shells into something truly special? • 8-3/4” wide x 11-1/4” high (22.2 cm wide x 28.6 cm high) • Rights: World. Ages 3 to 8.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441337627
Publisher:	Peter Pauper Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/01/2021
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.30(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

2021-08-31
A little girl collects and creates with shells she finds on her island.

Maya and her sister, Alita, carry on their family’s tradition of turning shells they collect every morning into shining, bright jewelry and accessories for people around their tropical-island home. While Alita discards the shells she thinks are ugly because they are cracked or misshapen, Maya remembers their grandmother’s words and works to “just find the magic” in every shell she picks up, even the ugly ones. She thinks hard about how to create the right purpose for the ugly shells and eventually finds that they make excellent wind chimes. Maya’s wind chimes end up being a gift to her whole community when they warn her and their town that a dangerous storm is on the way in the middle of the night. Maya is illustrated with curly, dark-brown hair, and Alita is pictured with more sandy-colored hair. Though no location is disclosed for the island where they reside, detailed pastel images of villagers and island flora and fauna, along with the shifting skies, help create a dreamy atmosphere that complements the delicateness and intimacy of some of the images. One spread of Maya dancing with Grandmother in her dreams emphasizes the importance of sharing lessons and love across generations.

Light, mellow, and as comforting as an island breeze. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews