Violet

Violet is not up to her first day at a new school. She finally braces herself and off she goes into unknown terrain. She worries the kids won't like and accept her. Luckily she gets through the day and waits for her dad to pick her up. When he finally arrives a boy startles her by asking a question that Violet had never even considered before. Is that your dad? "How come your dad is blue and you're not?" Violet opens her eyes and looks around the kids in the schoolyard. Every kid there is either yellow, red or blue. Why in the world is she violet? Oh my! She becomes upset and confused and goes to her mother to ask her why. Her wise, loving mom takes paints and mixes the red paint with the blue paint which makes the beautiful colour violet. She tenderly tells her... "Well, I am red and daddy is blue and you, my beauty, are a bit of us both." "Watch," she said, "if you take red and mix in a little blue, you get a lovely purply - violet." She tells her daughter that there are many mixed children resulting in a whole rainbow of beautiful colours. She assures her that she is amazing and to be proud of herself. People should like her for who she is not the colour she is. From that time on Violet celebrates the colour she is living in... PURPLE... my favourite colour too.

My children and I liked this book for its originality-both in the story and the colourful quirky illustrations. By using the metaphor of colour to show being different is okay, the author has allowed for its application to all differences, not just skin colour. It could encompass physical and intellectual differences, multi-cultural and linguistic differences, as well as religious differences. The story is a great way to introduce young children to tolerance and acceptance, and also to help them celebrate their own differences or uniqueness. A parent can easily bring up how special their child is because there is no one in the world like them. Helping children be proud of who they are, as Violet was, is also an important lesson derived from this story. The illustrator's style is well suited to these themes and makes a beautiful book. I may be biased, though, because violet or purple is my favourite colour.