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Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley
A delightfully uplifting tale about self-belief, courage, and—above all—the power of friendship. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the best of friends. But they are different in almost every way: Pearl loves solving mysteries and moves rather fast in the world, and Charlie likes taking leisurely baths and watching his flowers grow. So how can Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley be such good friends?
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Aaron Blabey
244 books884 followersAaron is an Australian author of children's books and artist who until the mid-2000s was also an actor. His award winning picture books include Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon and the best-selling Pig the Pug.
In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn, before retiring from performance in 2005.
In the field of acting, he is probably best known for his lead roles in two television dramedies, 1994's The Damnation of Harvey McHugh, for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and 2003's CrashBurn, before retiring from performance in 2005.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
July 2, 2011
This was an impulse check out at the library. I was on my way out when the cover snagged my attention and the title was just plain fun. Glad I checked it out! I enjoyed the humorous artwork. I like how the illustrations were sometimes done in black and white to capture the mood of the child. Charlie and Pearl are completely different, but they are such great friends. The story explains how this could possibly be. Charlie and Pearl help each other in areas the other is not very confident in. The two of them make a wonderful team.
April 2, 2019
Australian television actor Aaron Blabey made his children's book debut with this 2007 title - an endearing story of two dissimilar friends, that he both wrote and illustrated. As the simple narrative unfolds, the reader learns that Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley couldn't be less alike, in terms of both personality and interests. Where Pearl was loud and confident, and given to solving mysteries and "running amok," Charlie was quiet and shy, and preferred to sit and think. Fortunately, they each had something important to offer the other, something that made them very good friends indeed...
I liked the message here, that very different kinds of people can get along (even be best friends!), and help one another, because their personalities complement one another. What Pearl needs is a steadying influence, and a comforter, when she comes crashing off her high-energy peak. And Charlie needs someone to boost him up, inject a little excitement into his life, and give him some much-needed confidence. In the end, as the text makes plain, Pearl and Charlie aren't such good friends in spite of their differences, but because of them. If that message feels a little heavy-handed at times, the reader can overlook it (at least this reader could), especially since the artwork is so very interesting! The mixed media paintings here aren't exactly my "cup of tea," aesthetically speaking, but work well with the story, and hold the reader's attention. Like another reviewer, I was struck by the way Blabey played around with the amount of color he used, in order to communicate the emotional undercurrents of each scene.
All in all, a solid picture-book from Mr. Blabey! I don't think that it will ever be a personal favorite - I appreciated it, more than liked it - but I am glad to have picked it up.
I liked the message here, that very different kinds of people can get along (even be best friends!), and help one another, because their personalities complement one another. What Pearl needs is a steadying influence, and a comforter, when she comes crashing off her high-energy peak. And Charlie needs someone to boost him up, inject a little excitement into his life, and give him some much-needed confidence. In the end, as the text makes plain, Pearl and Charlie aren't such good friends in spite of their differences, but because of them. If that message feels a little heavy-handed at times, the reader can overlook it (at least this reader could), especially since the artwork is so very interesting! The mixed media paintings here aren't exactly my "cup of tea," aesthetically speaking, but work well with the story, and hold the reader's attention. Like another reviewer, I was struck by the way Blabey played around with the amount of color he used, in order to communicate the emotional undercurrents of each scene.
All in all, a solid picture-book from Mr. Blabey! I don't think that it will ever be a personal favorite - I appreciated it, more than liked it - but I am glad to have picked it up.
March 17, 2015
I love the book Charlie's reading. And his shoes.
This book is adorable, opposites attract, blah blah. Pretty standard kids book message and story. The art is adorable and I like it.
February 26, 2018
It’s okay to be different and be best buds. Not bad, but mainly bought it because of the cover.
January 1, 2009
There are plenty of children’s books based on friendship. It’s an important topic, so I don’t mind. Some books about friendship show rather than tell - they don’t explain how the process works, but show it in action. I think of the recent “Dog and Bear” books as an example. This is effective because a story about friendship is usually more interesting than a nuts and bolts examination. “Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley” goes the nuts and bolts route with unquestionable success. If you can find a more honest, well-written picture book about friendship this year, please send me a message at illeatmyhat@scopenotes.com.
The story (originally released in Australia) is not groundbreaking. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are two friends who could not be more different. Pearl is outgoing and fun-loving, while Charlie is quiet and cautious. After explaining the differences between the two, the narrator gets to the heart of the matter – that they are great friends precisely because of their opposite personalities. Author/illustrator Aaron Blabey manages to tell this story without ever falling into the saccharine zone of no return. The spot-on writing is plainly stated and economical.
The warm acrylic and mixed media illustrations focus on the characters. Pearl and Charlie are almost always depicted in full body view with a minimum of background clutter. With this decision, Blabey smartly focuses in on the relationship between our two main characters.
“Pearl Barley…” is a book about friends that reads like a breath of fresh air. Simple and effective. Highly recommended.
The story (originally released in Australia) is not groundbreaking. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are two friends who could not be more different. Pearl is outgoing and fun-loving, while Charlie is quiet and cautious. After explaining the differences between the two, the narrator gets to the heart of the matter – that they are great friends precisely because of their opposite personalities. Author/illustrator Aaron Blabey manages to tell this story without ever falling into the saccharine zone of no return. The spot-on writing is plainly stated and economical.
The warm acrylic and mixed media illustrations focus on the characters. Pearl and Charlie are almost always depicted in full body view with a minimum of background clutter. With this decision, Blabey smartly focuses in on the relationship between our two main characters.
“Pearl Barley…” is a book about friends that reads like a breath of fresh air. Simple and effective. Highly recommended.
September 18, 2008
It's a sweet friendship book about no matter who you are you can be friends. It's short but meaningfull to alot of people who believe in true friendships
April 30, 2015
This terrific picture book is about how friends who are completely opposite of one another can be some of the best friends of all. (This one reminds me of Mark and me.)Delightful!
July 15, 2020
Can two children that are the complete opposites of each other really be such good friends? Meet Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley…
Despite being absolute opposites of each other, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the very best of friends. She is loud, he is shy. She seeks adventure, he seeks comfort and quiet. She is all action, he likes quiet contemplation. Yet it is these differences that make them the best of friends.
A lovely read all about friendship and what the meaning of being a friend is. Pearl and Charlie teach readers that friends look out for each other, they support each other, they give confidence and courage to each other, and they are always there for each other.
The book is illustrated with an interesting use of colours. Muted colours are used to show when characters are feeling low contrasted with the use of bright colours when characters are doing things that they enjoy.
A simple story with a very important message.
Recommended for 4+.
Despite being absolute opposites of each other, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the very best of friends. She is loud, he is shy. She seeks adventure, he seeks comfort and quiet. She is all action, he likes quiet contemplation. Yet it is these differences that make them the best of friends.
A lovely read all about friendship and what the meaning of being a friend is. Pearl and Charlie teach readers that friends look out for each other, they support each other, they give confidence and courage to each other, and they are always there for each other.
The book is illustrated with an interesting use of colours. Muted colours are used to show when characters are feeling low contrasted with the use of bright colours when characters are doing things that they enjoy.
A simple story with a very important message.
Recommended for 4+.
January 1, 2018
Blabey, Aaron. Pearl Barley and Charley Parsley. Unpaged. Front Street, 2007.
Pearl and Charley are different in every way. For instance, Pearl Barley likes to “run amok,” and Charley Parsley likes to “sit and think.” But they are best friends and comfort each other and cheer each other up.
This book is sprinkled with humor that fits the fun illustrations. It will cheer anyone up and if it doesn’t, Pearl will “dance up a storm.”
EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Susan Huff, Area Library Media Specialist.
Pearl and Charley are different in every way. For instance, Pearl Barley likes to “run amok,” and Charley Parsley likes to “sit and think.” But they are best friends and comfort each other and cheer each other up.
This book is sprinkled with humor that fits the fun illustrations. It will cheer anyone up and if it doesn’t, Pearl will “dance up a storm.”
EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Susan Huff, Area Library Media Specialist.
March 18, 2018
Truly the cutest little story about a male-female best friend duo and how opposites attract, balancing each other out. It will have you pining for such a friend and leaving you warm and fuzzy inside!
Plus Barley and Parsley both combine to make a delicious looking dish or a salad... perfect combo and happiness maker!
Illustrations are very distinct and the book is made even more heartwarming by the dedication of the author to his wife.
Plus Barley and Parsley both combine to make a delicious looking dish or a salad... perfect combo and happiness maker!
Illustrations are very distinct and the book is made even more heartwarming by the dedication of the author to his wife.
February 25, 2020
A beautiful, simple story about how being different can help in forming and keeping friendships.
This book highlights the beauty and difficulty of some personality traits and how finding friends that accept you for who you are leads to great happiness.
For teachers, a text comparison with Blabey's 'Stanley Paste' is one children enjoy.
This book highlights the beauty and difficulty of some personality traits and how finding friends that accept you for who you are leads to great happiness.
For teachers, a text comparison with Blabey's 'Stanley Paste' is one children enjoy.
August 22, 2023
One of the best books I have ever bought to read to my daughters. A book about love and acceptance and how our best friends may not be the people who are exactly like us, but those who love the things about us that are the most different from themselves. Such a sweet perfect book about friendship in the most unlikely pairs.
June 21, 2017
This is a beautiful book about a wonderful friendship. Illustrations are full of fun and emotion. Lovely and heart-warming story. Highly recommended for Grades 1-3. This is Mr. Blabey's first book. What a great job!
December 7, 2017
Bonus star for the names of the characters and for the peculiar but endearing art style. Message pretty standard, right up to the cliche of someone who is quiet also being timid. Not necessarily recommended despite my 4-star rating, unless you're already very interested.
October 29, 2021
A heartwarming tale of two characters in an unlikely friendship. This duo are complete opposites and often times others wonder how they came to be such good friends. As the book unravels the reader comes to understand how well the two complement one another.
August 19, 2017
So killing
October 14, 2018
Perfectly simple. And adorable.
June 11, 2019
blech. not a fan of the pictures. like the author's newer books, but not this
June 23, 2019
A nice book with a gentle and kind couple of main characters, good for helping children understand they male and female is not defined by rigid stereotypes.
August 7, 2019
Gets 4 out of 5 simply for being about a girl and a boy being friends without anyone shipping them.
November 11, 2019
I have it on good authority that I read this book, but it was not memorable.
February 3, 2020
A sweet story of two friends who are opposites in every way. I think this could be a great discussion starter for children about embracing differences in others.
August 8, 2020
A beautiful story about opposites attracting and unlikely friendship. Blabey's illustrations are, as always, funny and delightfully heartwarming.
February 22, 2021
A gorgeous book by a much loved author about friendship. Perfect for my K-2 students!
October 5, 2021
I liked and appreciated the message emphasizing the importance of balance, didn't love the color palette/illustration style.
October 15, 2023
This was the first book I ever read by Dav Pilkey and I loved it. It's a book that I read to my library classes every year.
October 27, 2025
Not my favourite. I kept saying Pearlie Barsley
January 8, 2018
Love this book. Most importantly my 3 year old loves it! It is currently her favourite book. We read it at least ten times a day (I know, it's ridiculous but she just can't get enough of it).
When I first got this book, I have to admit that I was not a big fan of the illustrations but I suppose esthetics are subjective thing. Once I started reading it (I always read new books by myself to get familiar with the content before I read them to my child), I realized that it tells a beautiful story and then I decided on how to present it to my three year old. The presentation is the key, especially at this age, as you need to hold their attention and make them want to come back to it. And she loved it! We would run around the room when Pearl Barley "is running amok", we’d get very quiet when we read about Charlie Parsley being “shy or lonely or just plain blue" :-); my husband and I take turns in reading it to our daughter and at this point even though she can't read, she has memorized the text fully.
Anyway, I'll stop writing now; the bottom line is, buy this book, it's beautiful and very educational.
P.S. My daughter also knows who wrote it as we always start by reading the title and author's name (before we get to the content). It’s important to learn the names of authors, after all the books are the product of their labor. Aaron Blabey, thank you for this masterpiece!
When I first got this book, I have to admit that I was not a big fan of the illustrations but I suppose esthetics are subjective thing. Once I started reading it (I always read new books by myself to get familiar with the content before I read them to my child), I realized that it tells a beautiful story and then I decided on how to present it to my three year old. The presentation is the key, especially at this age, as you need to hold their attention and make them want to come back to it. And she loved it! We would run around the room when Pearl Barley "is running amok", we’d get very quiet when we read about Charlie Parsley being “shy or lonely or just plain blue" :-); my husband and I take turns in reading it to our daughter and at this point even though she can't read, she has memorized the text fully.
Anyway, I'll stop writing now; the bottom line is, buy this book, it's beautiful and very educational.
P.S. My daughter also knows who wrote it as we always start by reading the title and author's name (before we get to the content). It’s important to learn the names of authors, after all the books are the product of their labor. Aaron Blabey, thank you for this masterpiece!
October 13, 2008
Pearl and Charlie are great friends, but they are also almost completely different from one another. Pearl is loud, vivacious, brave and silly. Charlie is quiet, shy, reserved and kind. How can they be friends? Well, it turns out that they suit each other perfectly. When one has a need, the other meets it. Kindly, warmly and in their own unique way.
All of us have a bit of Pearl and a bit of Charlie in us, so this is a picture book that speaks to everyone. Blabey's very short text is perfect to read aloud, often allowing the picture to tell the bulk of the story. His illustrations are friendly, warm and quite silly at times. What could have been a saccharine story of perfect friendship is brought to life through humor and the lovely imperfection of the two characters. The best piece of the book is that these two different individuals did not have to change themselves to be friends, instead they took the parts of themselves that are most special and offer them to the other. What a great message for children!
Spending time with these two is quite a treat. Through no lecturing whatsoever, children will see what it is to be a friend without changing yourself at all. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
All of us have a bit of Pearl and a bit of Charlie in us, so this is a picture book that speaks to everyone. Blabey's very short text is perfect to read aloud, often allowing the picture to tell the bulk of the story. His illustrations are friendly, warm and quite silly at times. What could have been a saccharine story of perfect friendship is brought to life through humor and the lovely imperfection of the two characters. The best piece of the book is that these two different individuals did not have to change themselves to be friends, instead they took the parts of themselves that are most special and offer them to the other. What a great message for children!
Spending time with these two is quite a treat. Through no lecturing whatsoever, children will see what it is to be a friend without changing yourself at all. Appropriate for ages 3-6.
July 5, 2013
It is often said that friends, and sometimes husbands and wives, find they connect with opposites. This story is about just that, why Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are two great friends who are quite different from each other. Pearl is loud and daring and loves, as the book tells, “to run amok”. Charlie is quiet and conservative and very shy, likes to “be safe and sound”. Aaron Blabey’s art fills the pages with giggles as he “shows” the words written about these friends. For example, when we see that Pearl is very loud, the illustration shows her playing a drum (really a saucepot). And when we learn that Charlie is very quiet, he is shown to be reading a book titled “The Benefits of Wearing Felt” (giggle, giggle). It’s also delightful to see how these friends compliment each other. When Pearl gets so tired of ‘running amok’, Charlie tucks her into bed with a mug of warm milk. And when Charlie feels lonely, Pearl assures him she “thinks he’s great.” Fun book about friendship!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews