Violet's Music
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Overview
There's nothing Violet loves more than music, and she plays or sings every chance she gets. But where are the other kids like her-kids who think and dream music all day long? As a baby, in kindergarten, at the beach and the zoo, she never gives up looking for companions. And then one summer day...
Bright, lively, and lyrical, this is a book for kids who march to a different drummer. Violet's Music sings to us that the right friend is always out there-as long as we keep looking and hoping, and above all, staying true to ourselves.
From the days she banged her rattle in the crib, Violet has been looking for friends to share her love of music.
Synopsis
There's nothing Violet loves more than music, and she plays or sings every chance she gets. But where are the other kids like her—kids who think and dream music all day long? As a baby, in kindergarten, at the beach and the zoo, she never gives up looking for companions. And then one summer day...
Bright, lively, and lyrical, this is a book for kids who march to a different drummer. Violet's Music sings to us that the right friend is always out there—as long as we keep looking and hoping, and above all, staying true to ourselves.
Publishers Weekly
Although Violet's love of music ostensibly forms the heart of Johnson's (When I Am Old with You) story, the rhythm and joy of a child's delight in music comes through in neither text nor art. Starting in the nursery at the hospital, where the newborn Violet is already shaking her rattle, the heroine embarks on a years-long search for "other kids like her,/ who dreamed music,/ thought music,/ all day long." But she cannot find them among the babies in the hospital, the members of her family, the children at school or the sunbathers at the beach. Only when she's grown (or nearly so, it's hard to tell) does Violet find kindred spirits at last. The ending scenes strain to make Violet's experience universal. Retracing the narrative path Violet has followed, Violet's friends say they knew they'd find one another some day, " 'Cause when we were in the nursery,/ then were two,/ and later in kindergarten/ and at the beach,/ we kept on looking/ for kids playing music too!" The perspectives and colors in Huliska-Beith's (Favorite Things) mixed-media illustrations are playful, and they incorporate tiny, humorous details that bear scrutiny, as when four star-like suns wear wristwatches marking the time "from morning till that night." However, the intensely patterned, freeform spreads can also be distracting, as when a baby in the nursery scene appears to levitate above its crib. The effect is more stream-of-consciousness than harmonious. Ages 4-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Although Violet's love of music ostensibly forms the heart of Johnson's (When I Am Old with You) story, the rhythm and joy of a child's delight in music comes through in neither text nor art. Starting in the nursery at the hospital, where the newborn Violet is already shaking her rattle, the heroine embarks on a years-long search for "other kids like her,/ who dreamed music,/ thought music,/ all day long." But she cannot find them among the babies in the hospital, the members of her family, the children at school or the sunbathers at the beach. Only when she's grown (or nearly so, it's hard to tell) does Violet find kindred spirits at last. The ending scenes strain to make Violet's experience universal. Retracing the narrative path Violet has followed, Violet's friends say they knew they'd find one another some day, " 'Cause when we were in the nursery,/ then were two,/ and later in kindergarten/ and at the beach,/ we kept on looking/ for kids playing music too!" The perspectives and colors in Huliska-Beith's (Favorite Things) mixed-media illustrations are playful, and they incorporate tiny, humorous details that bear scrutiny, as when four star-like suns wear wristwatches marking the time "from morning till that night." However, the intensely patterned, freeform spreads can also be distracting, as when a baby in the nursery scene appears to levitate above its crib. The effect is more stream-of-consciousness than harmonious. Ages 4-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Violet entered the world loving music. She began with banging a rhythm on her bed and shaking her rattle with a beat. None of the other babies joined in. She got a horn for her second birthday and tooted from morning till night. She thought she might find some fellow music lovers in kindergarten, but her classmates liked different activities. Violet continued to enjoy making music by herself, but she was constantly on the outlook for others who might share her interest. She looked around everywhere she went. Then one day several summers later, she was playing her guitar in the park when she heard a drum beating over by the fountain. Then she heard the smooth sound of a saxophone by the jungle gym. Someone started singing by the flower garden. And a band was born. Violet discovered that just like her, Angel, Randy, and Juan had been looking for musicians all of their lives. Violet is depicted as an adorable African-American girl. The boisterous pictures feature dynamic characters representing a variety of ethnic groups. Young children will appreciate the subtle message about following your dreams and not becoming discouraged when it appears that others do not share your vision. 2004, Dial, Ages 3 to 7.—Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.