The Lost Stone

This first title in the Kingdom of Wrenly series introduces lonely eight-year-old Prince Lucas, who is “bored out of his royal britches” and desperate for a friend. King Caleb prohibits his son from associating with any of the village children except Clara, the daughter of Queen Tasha’s dressmaker. When the queen loses her precious emerald pendant, Lucas and Clara set off to find it (with permission, of course). Their search brings them to island kingdoms inhabited by fairies, trolls, and wizards, but yields no pendant until Clara’s mermaid friends retrieve it from the sea. The characters the children encounter add spice to the story, and although the characterizations, plot, and language are kept basic, that’s to be expected for this age range, and Quinn keeps the action moving at a fast clip over the story’s 10 chapters. A large typeface, simple sentences, art on every spread (not seen in finished form by PW), and an overall sense of adventure should please emergent readers. The Scarlet Dragon pubs simultaneously. Ages 5–7. Illustrator’s agent: the Bright Agency. (Apr.)