Pearlie in the Park

Pearlie #1

by Wendy Harmer, Mike Zarb (Illustrations)

A delightfully funny urban fairytale, the first in a series that is perfect for new and emerging readers—and opens with a page of stickers

 

Pearlie looks after Jubilee Park and it keeps her very busy. Every day she makes the slippery dip slippery, opens all the flowers, polishes the dragonflies' wings, and looks after all the animals who live in the park. But one day she wakes up to find everything topsy-turvy. Hurly-burly! What can have gone wrong? It's up to Pearlie to find out. .

Genres: Childrens

48 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

Wendy Harmer is an Australian author, writer, radio show host and comedienne. A former political journalist, Wendy is the author of seven books for adults: It's a Joke, Joyce (1989), Backstage Pass (1991), Love Gone Wrong (1995), So anyway-- : Wendy’s words of wisdom (1997) (a collection of her weekly columns from The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend Magazine), Farewell My Ovaries (2005), Nagging for Beginners (2006), Love and Punishment (2006), and Roadside Sisters published in April 2009.

Harmer's books have been described as being in the genre of Chick lit. They are popular light novels and very humorous.

Wendy Harmer has also written a series for young readers called the Pearlie in the Park . They are bestsellers in Australia and have been published in ten countries around the world. The animated Pearlie series has screened on Australian TV.

I Lost My Mobile at the Mall (2009) is Wendy's first novel for teens.

She has written for numerous Australian magazines and has been a contributing columnist for Australian Women's Weekly, New Weekly, The Good Weekend and HQ.

Wendy contributed to Marie Claire’s What Women Want in 2002, My Sporting Hero edited by Greg Gowden which was published by Random House Australia and a volume of The Best Ever Sports Writing . . . 200 Years of Sport Writing. She also wrote the libretto for Baz Luhrmann’s Opera Australia production of Lake Lost.

Reviews

[Sophia]

I was thinking about this recently and how simple things were back then. I miss book fairs and having the time to sit in a library and read.

It’s so strange and wonderful how you may not remember everything that happened in a book but you remember the feelings it gave you; the joy and excitement.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days where every book I picked up, I loved. A time when I wasn't so critical.

Not really a review on this book or the story, just some inner ramblings I needed to get out.

[Sophia.F]

This is a great book, I loved to read this book series when I was young and loved every book. Everyone has heard of fairies who live at the bottom of the garden, but did you know that fairies also live in the big city? Of coarse they do? Pearlie's job is to look after Jubilee Park in the big city, everyday she is always making sure Jubilee park is in perfect condition. But one day she wakes up to find everything is topsy-turvy. What could have gone wrong, lets see if Pearlie can find out...

[Moonie]

I was obsessed with this series! When I was in primary school, we would go to the school library and borrow a book. I don't know how often it would be but I remember always borrowing the books in this series because it was so much fun! I'm so happy that schools encourage students to read at a young age, as they should.

[larita]

Literalmente mi infancia 🥺🥺

[Nicola]

Miss 6 quite likes the Pearlie books. We're reading them all out of order but she doesn't mind.

Miss 6 and I like to explore different books and authors at the library, sometimes around particular topics or themes. We try to get different ones out every week or so; it's fun for both of us to have the variety and to look at a mix of new & favourite authors.

[Dudi GM]

Thanks to Wndy and Pearl I am a reader, thanks to this book I learn to love reading, and therefore 5/5 as many times as I possibly could. Recommend this to everysingle young girl that loves fantasy and fairy stories.

[Anna]

Este libro es fantastico. Ellos ensenan a los ninos que sus acciones tienen consecuencias. Este libro fue demasiado perfecto.

[Lightwhisper]

Beautiful art inside and a simple story. Nothing much to learn but still nice to read.

[forevie_and_evie]

5/5 stars (24.11.2025-24.11.2025)

[Louise]

Wendy Harmer was one of Australia's most successful comedians in the 90s. She has reinvented herself somewhat as an author of books initially for adults and now for children. Pearlie is the fairy who lives in Jubilee Park, and looks after things- making the slippery dip slippery, and putting dew onto the spider webs. It's a cute set up for a story. Two naughty rats set about messing up all Pearlie's good work. Of course things are righted by the end, which is a bit moralistic really- Pearlie has a succinct message to tell. Pearlie has been rather successful, and now has her own tv show.

[Sara]

The very first book in the Pearlie sereis. I think the whole series has great story lines and really cool pictures!

[Brian Yatman]

On a first reading this comes across as a charming little romp. After the 50th reading - at the insistence of my daughter - in as many days, I find myself praying for death.

[Kristen]

I read this for research really, as i'm interested in writing kids books. and i love faeries.

[Kylie Abecca]

Quite a cute little book. A good book to read to a child the night before a big bedroom clean up 😂