School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Pearl's attempts to build a sandcastle have met with one disaster after another, but she tries again using code and some help from her robot Pascal. Employing loops, if-then-else conditions, and sequences, can the pair succeed? Funk includes tongue-in-cheek computer references including the names of Pearl and Pascal, which also are names of programming languages. Palacios joins in the fun by depicting loops with the words wrapping around a swim float or following the course of a moat around the sand castle. This creative pair have taken a common childhood problem and used it to explain how coding works. They show everything from breaking a problem into smaller pieces to building on existing code. A "Pearl and Pascal's Guide to Coding" section follows the story and explains the programming terms in more detail. Readers will enjoy the narrative even if they have never worked with code before and may find themselves curious about other applications for coding. VERDICT An excellent, age-appropriate introduction to the world of coding. Highly recommended.-Suzanne Costner, Fairview Elementary School, Maryville, TN © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
In this fun and cheerfully illustrated tale, Pearl, a young girl on the last day of her summer beach vacation, is determined to build a sandcastle. Having been thwarted in previous attempts, she enlists the aid of Pascal, her robot. Pascal does not compute when told to build a sandcastle, so Pearl realizes she must break the job into step-by-step tasks, using code. Pascal follows the code literally, producing unintended and embarrassing consequences. Pearl quickly realizes she must be absolutely clear in her directions, and employs coding tricks, such as looping and if-then-else sequences, to finally achieve her perfect sandcastle only to have it destroyed by the incoming tide. Pearl's tears disappear when she realizes that now that she's developed the code, she can use it again and again, and build a whole kingdom. With an introduction by Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani, a diverse cast of characters, and delightful visual background humor, this painless introduction to coding basics will engage, entertain, and educate audiences.--McBroom, Kathleen Copyright 2018 Booklist
