By Micaela Williamson
Nicole Groeneweg, a 30-year veteran Fairfax County teacher, has always loved words. One night while drifting off to sleep, she thought about writing a picture book about a little girl who was passionate about words. She jotted down ‘Pearl the Word Girl’ on a pad of paper beside her bed and got to right to work the next morning. Little did she know, her book One Word Pearl would go on to become the winner of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) Children’s Book Competition in the Picture Book category.
One Word Pearl explores the power of words to transform, inspire, and cultivate imagination. The book features title-character, Pearl, who loves words, but one day, most of Pearl’s words are blown away, leaving her only with the few words stored safely in her treasure chest. With her limited vocabulary, Pearl is frustrated and unable to express herself to others. Young readers are taken on a journey as Pearl tries to discover how to get her words back. The book features whimsical illustrations by Hazel Mitchell and is recommended for ages 5-8.
Besides winning the NAESP award, the book has received amazing feedback from children and parents. “ When the readers tell me they love the book or when parents tell me their kids want to read and reread the story, I get goose bumps,” says author Groeneweg.
She is also working on a sequel to the book called Pearl, Nature Girl. In this story Pearl loses her words and finds them in nature, woven into nests, carried by ants, crunched by caterpillars, buried by squirrels, and so on.
One Word Pearl
By Nicole Groeneweg, Illustrated by Hazel Mitchell
Charlesbridge Publishing, 2013
Available in paperback and hardcover
- Courtesy of Tiffany Brown, Mamaratzy Photography
Micaela Williamson is a co-author of local travel guide, Kid Trips Northern Virginia, an extraordinary resource that provides descriptions, useful information and insider tips for hundreds of local destinations. Micaela is also an award winning blogger who enjoys supporting area businesses and scouting out family-friendly venues with her two young sons.
