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Brownie & Pearl
Brownie & Pearl Go for a Spin
Brownie & Pearl take to the streets!Brownie and Pearl have a new toy car! Join them as they cruise around the neighborhood, greeting neighbors, delivering the mail, and—yum!—sharing tasty carry-out snacks.
With their simple stories, bold, graphic illustrations, and pitch-perfect moments of humor, the books in Cynthia Rylant’s acclaimed Brownie & Pearl series are a wonderful choice for babies, emerging readers, and everyone in between!
24 pages, Hardcover
First published February 21, 2012
About the author
Cynthia Rylant
356 books892 followersCynthia Rylant is an American author, poet, and librarian whose deeply felt books for children and young adults have made her one of the most beloved voices in contemporary literature. Writing across picture books, novels, short stories, nonfiction, and poetry, she has published more than one hundred works, many of them rooted in memory, family, solitude, and the emotional landscapes of ordinary life. Her fiction often draws from her upbringing in West Virginia and reflects the textures of Appalachian life with unusual tenderness and clarity.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.
Raised in modest circumstances, Rylant spent much of her childhood with her grandparents in a rural setting that later became central to her imagination as a writer. Those early years, marked by hardship as well as warmth, shaped the emotional honesty and quiet resilience that define her work. She later studied English and library science, and after working as a waitress, librarian, and teacher, she began publishing books inspired by the world she had known so intimately.
Among her most acclaimed works are Missing May, which received the Newbery Medal, and A Fine White Dust, a Newbery Honor Book. She also earned Caldecott Honors for When I Was Young in the Mountains and The Relatives Came. For younger readers, she became especially well known through the enduring Henry and Mudge series, as well as other popular books and series that combine gentleness, humor, and emotional depth.
Rylant's writing is distinguished by its compassion for lonely, searching, or overlooked characters, and by its reverence for animals, nature, and small human connections. Whether writing about grief, wonder, childhood, or belonging, she brings a lyrical simplicity that resonates across generations. Her books continue to offer comfort, recognition, and beauty to readers of all ages. She remains a singular literary presence in children's literature and beyond today.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
June 9, 2022
I read this to Julianna tonight. She had her 2st field trip today of all time in kindergarten to Old Westbury Gardens. She was tired so I read to her. She gives the book 5 stars. Cute, short, simple book.
October 3, 2017
September 2017 - charming and short, and I'm a little surprised that these were published as picture books first and easy readers second, since Rylant is such a master of the easy reader.
February 12, 2018
Nice big bold pictures and colours with short simple sentences. Great for my baby.
February 2, 2019
Brownie and Pearl are driving around the neighborhood delivering mail. Does the mail get to the right people? We may never know!
April 11, 2019
Kaitlyn LOVES the bright pictures and simple stories about a little girl and her cat. Need to start buying this collection to own, because they're really cute and cheerful books!
May 4, 2020
Brownie and Pearl deliver peoples' mail for them. They have fun while they do stuff and its really cute!
July 6, 2021
The Brownie and Pearl books are absolute joy not only for a beginning reader but for readers of any age!
October 29, 2021
Fun book
January 28, 2023
An easy read for my 5 year old emergent reader.
August 11, 2023
My 6 year old daughter was almost able to read this book all by herself!
January 11, 2026
3 stars
Brownie has a little care for both herself and Pearl. They drive around the block, get the mail, and have a sanck.
Brownie has a little care for both herself and Pearl. They drive around the block, get the mail, and have a sanck.
July 29, 2013
Brownie (the little girl) and Pearl (her cat) drive their toy car to somebody's mailbox, get the mail, and then give the mail to somebody to whom it may or may not have belonged before returning home.
The Brownie & Pearl series in which the odd idiomatic phrases "get dolled up," "go for a spin," "grab a bite," "hit the hay," "make good," "see the sights," "step out," and "take a dip" are illustrated and explored is extremely cute and a hit with toddler girls. However, my husband and I find the lack of parental supervision is somewhat disturbing.
The Brownie & Pearl series in which the odd idiomatic phrases "get dolled up," "go for a spin," "grab a bite," "hit the hay," "make good," "see the sights," "step out," and "take a dip" are illustrated and explored is extremely cute and a hit with toddler girls. However, my husband and I find the lack of parental supervision is somewhat disturbing.
October 5, 2013
As a kid, I would have loved to have my own little car. I was jeolous of the kids that had those battery powered car. And think, Brownie has one and it has room for her cat.
Great early reader for little girls. The pictures are absolutely adorable, the story is cute, and I think I love Brownie and Pearl. Brownie is a girly girl no doubt but she still is up for an adventure! Really liked this one!
Great early reader for little girls. The pictures are absolutely adorable, the story is cute, and I think I love Brownie and Pearl. Brownie is a girly girl no doubt but she still is up for an adventure! Really liked this one!
March 24, 2012
I'll have to see more in this series. This one is a problem because I'm not sure kids can relate to a mailbox and certainly not getting lots of mail. It is interesting that in the illustrations all the mail is postcards and letters. Do kids know what postcards are? Is the term take out synonymous with "fast food"?
June 2, 2016
My daughter has all of the Brownie and Pearl books. Although she is almost 10 now and has graduated to reading long novels, she still loves the beautiful pictures and sweet stories of the Brownie and Pearl series. We had many a wonderful story time before bed reading them and they are a treasured collection.
April 25, 2012
I would recommend the Brownie & Pearl series to children 3-5, especially due to the short sentences and colorful images. As a series, children will enjoy the various short adventures of Brownie & Pearl.
April 30, 2012
Not as well written as the other Brownie & Pearl books, but still has very high appeal due to the excellent illustrations. The plot was disjointed and the "takeout" punchline required a lot of explaining.
February 3, 2012
Not as good as the previous Brownie & Pearl books. When we reached the end my son asked, "Is that it?"
March 2, 2012
"When Brownie and her cat go for a spin in her car, neither one is ready for it to end."
Great for toddlers - simple sentences and concepts they can understand.
Great for toddlers - simple sentences and concepts they can understand.
April 13, 2012
A disappointing entry in this series.
May 2, 2012
this whole series is some of the cutest toddler/preschool books around
May 11, 2012
love this series!
May 18, 2012
Very simple picture book. Going for a spin in the car, picking up the mail, finishing with a picnic... Nice, bright illustrations that pair well with the simple text.
October 22, 2012
Super cute illustrations. I also like the names Brownie and Pearl, but the story really wasn't engaging even for a short picture book.
July 20, 2014
Easy read story about a girl and her cat.
December 12, 2014
We love the Brownie and Pearl books. I like some of the other stories better though. Fun pictures.
March 16, 2015
Pre-Level 1, no rebus
March 30, 2015
so cute
November 15, 2017
11/14/17 Read with Naomi.
1/11/20 Read with Julia
1/11/20 Read with Julia
July 1, 2018
great early reader! Holds the kiddos attention because of the great pictures to look and they can't wait to keep sounding out those words to see what happens to Brownie and her kitty Pearl!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews