Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are best friends.

While Pearl Barley likes to talk, talk, talk all day long, about anything and everything, Charlie Parsley is very shy.
While Pearl Barley likes to solve mysteries and get to the bottom of things… Charlie Parsley likes to be safe and sound.

How can their friendship survive such differences? In Aaron Blabey‘s charming picture book, an introvert and an extravert find that they go together very well.

When Pearl Barley forgets her mittens on cold winter days… Charlie Parsley holds her hands and makes them warm as toast.
When Charlie Parsley feels scared of scary things… Pearl Barley makes him feel brave. She’s his hero.

The illustrations, also by Blabey (who is currently National Literacy Ambassador in Australia), are hilarious and sharply expressive. Have a peek inside to see what I mean, or watch the whole book on the clip below – complete with sign language translation!

Fostering an appreciation of difference is a key task of parenting, from training kids not to point at people on the street to encouraging them to include quirky or lonely kids at school.

We’ve talked a bit about introversion and extraversion lately, so I thought I’d mention this delightful tale of complementary friendship for your reading pleasure. It’s too much fun to feel like a moral lesson, and would be a great addition to your library list if you have picture book fans in your house.