Maya's Treasure

Keeping close the words and memories of her grandmother, a young girl is determined to craft a treasure from cast-off bits of shell in this beautiful picture book. Each morning when the sun rises, Maya and her sister, Alita, go to the shore to collect the beautiful seashells the waves wash up on the beach overnight. The sisters scrub their finds until they sparkle like stars, then string them together to make beautiful jewelry they can sell to the people in their island village. When Alita discards shells she deems too broken or ugly, Maya rescues them and remembers the words of her grandmother: ''Even the tiniest nub can be quite beautiful. You just have to find the magic in it.'' But can Maya turn the cast-off shells into something truly special? Vibrant full-color pastel illustrations throughout evoke magic and memory. Ages 3 to 8. Full color picture book. Hardcover with dust jacket. 8-3/4'' wide x 11-1/4'' high. 32 pages. By Laurie Smollett Kutscera, illustrator of Ravita and the Land of Unknown Shadows, and author/illustrator of Misadventures of a Magician's Son. Click here to download a free Common Core Aligned Teaching Guide for Maya's Treasure Book Trailer: