Sue Lawson (text) and Rebecca Crane (illustrator), Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Savan (Pearly and Pig #2), Walker Books Australia, March 2023, 224 pp., RRP $15.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760655457
This is the second instalment in Sue Whiting’s middle grade series featuring an unconfident adventurer, Pearly, and her hyper-intelligent pet pig, and if you liked the first one, chances are you’ll also like the second.
This time Pearly is heading deep into the jungle with her grandfather and her parents to revisit a place and a time from their past. However, this is all new to Pearly, who is still finding her feet as an adventurer. When the family are separated and Pearly and Pig have to make their way alone the real test begins. Throughout the story readers meet a new cast of characters, some villainous, others cheeky, and some reliable, but we’re not always sure who is who.
I reviewed the first book, Pearly and Pig and the Great Hairy Beast last year, and Pearly and Pig and the Lost City of Mu Suvan feels like a very complimentary, cohesive follow up. There is a consistency in the characters, the content level and the reading level. While there is adventure in this book, it feels rather tame and safe, which is great for kids who have a high reading ability, but a low tolerance for thrills, suspense, and scares.
Reviewed by Cherie Bell
