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Diamonti (or Monti, for short) lives among a community of diamonds deep in a South African cave. He begins as a roughie—a gem covered in dirt who still needs to discover his innermost shine. During an initiation ritual to the world outside, he upholds the lessons taught to him by his mother about having courage, compassion, character, and curiosity. As a result, he is the first among his peers to shed his dirt and become a shining diamond. Then he stumbles across and chooses to let a poor man named Jabu find him. Jabu sells Diamonti to help finance a better future for his family, and after passing through several hands, Diamonti comes to America and gets placed on a diamond necklace. In a twist of fate, his mother winds up on the same necklace, and they are put on display for onlookers to enjoy.
This children’s book has a good, solid message of someone bringing out their inner beauty through selflessness and compassion, which means that it perfectly embodies the phrase “a diamond in the rough.” In fact, it provides a perfect illustration of that concept for younger readers since they get to watch Diamonti gradually transform into a beautiful diamond who makes his friends and family proud. Watching that progression take place is a delightful and inspirational experience. Further, the main character maintains a positive attitude the whole time, with his compassion for the feelings of others and learning to understand them better. Yet another area where this specific story shines is by stoking curiosity about the mining process, different gemstones, and jewelry in general, encouraging children to do more research into those areas.