Emily Pearl can do lots of things by herself. But sometimes even resourceful little girls need help.

Emily Pearl is a very big girl. She can pour her own juice. She can feed her goldfish. She can even curl her own hair. Whenever her mother tries to help, Emily says, "I can do it myself!" Emily Pearl's creative approach does sometimes lead to results that are not quite what anyone expected.

But even a very big girl like Emily can sometimes feel a teeny bit small, especially at bedtime when dark shadows creep across the walls of her bedroom. Luckily for Emily, her mom understands and gives her a helping hand.

Diane Adams' delightful, rhyming story of one child's determined quest for independence is complemented by Nancy Hayashi's charming illustrations that colorfully capture the chaotic ups and downs in the life of a preschooler.