Love, Violet

Starred review from November 8, 2021
Valentine’s Day brings a shy child named Violet the chance to connect with her crush, Mira, in Sullivan Wild’s uplifting wintry tale. Pale-skinned with a cherry-red undercut, smitten Violet dreams of “astounding Mira with heroic feats/ and bringing her treasures/ and galloping off together on adventures.” But whenever Mira, brown-skinned and curly-haired, tries to play with or talk to her, Violet “went shy.” For Valentine’s, though, Violet resolves to share her feelings, signing her DIY card to Mira, “Love, Violet,” but upon seeing Mira, resplendent in the snow, Violet is overcome with insecurity. Despair sets in, until Violet considers the possibility that Mira might reciprocate her feelings, and a race through the snow—choreographically captured with dancelike grace in Chua’s simple, light-filled watercolors—brings the duo together at last, making the holiday one of joyful acceptance. Ages 4–8.

November 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 Violet, a quiet child, has a crush on Mira, a vivacious classmate, and fantasizes about impressing her with daring deeds. But whenever Mira speaks to her, Violet turns shy. That winter, she makes a glitter-sprinkled, heart-shaped card for Mira. On Valentine's Day, Violet tucks the card into her hat, but at each opportunity to deliver it, she chickens out. Summoning her courage at recess, she calls out to Mira, only to have the special card blown away by the wind and trampled by stampeding classmates. Still, Violet manages to retrieve the crumpled valentine and hand it to Mira, who smiles and gives Violet a heart-shaped locket before they gallop off to share a make-believe adventure together. The sensitive third-person narrative details Violet's thoughts and emotions throughout the story and reveals Mira's in the happy ending. Capturing the girls' distinct personalities, the illustrations glow with warm, delicate colors, which are set off most effectively in the snowy outdoor settings. An appealing picture book for reading aloud, particularly in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day.

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January 1, 2022

PreS-Gr 2-In this sensitive picture book about first friendship and first crushes, Violet, who has pale skin and red hair, daydreams about taking her friend Mira, who has light brown skin and curly hair, on heroic adventures. "As far as Violet was concerned, only one person in her class raced like the wind. Only one had a leaping laugh. Only one made Violet's heart skip." But every time Violet tries to tell Mira how she feels, she goes shy. As Valentine's Day approaches, Violet decides that a handmade card is the perfect way to show Mira just how special she is. A soothing color palette enhances the story's quiet and lighthearted tone, and transparent watercolor washes on textured paper add light and warmth to wintry scenes. Children will notice Mira's baffled expressions in the background as Violet frets, offering opportunities for conversation around social-emotional learning. Cheerful schoolmates are drawn with varying shades of skin and hair types. Mira's warm response when Violet finally delivers her valentine is touching, and sends a reassuring message about being true to one's feelings. While the girls' relationship is not explicitly romantic, Violet's daydreams (where, for example, she is wearing a knight's outfit and laying treasure at Mira's feet) and her skipping heart suggest that her feelings may grow into something more. VERDICT This book fills an important need for non-heteronormative representation in picture book collections and will sit alongside books like Thomas Scotto's Jerome by Heart. Recommended for holiday collections.-Amy Fellows

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from October 15, 2021
Violet only has eyes for one other child in her class: Mira. Violet longs to spend her days dreaming and adventuring with Mira. But whenever Mira comes close, Violet panics and is unable to speak. In the winter, Violet gets an idea: If she can't express her feelings in words, maybe she can express them through art. She decides to make Mira an extra-special valentine, covering it with glitter and signing it, "Love, Violet." On Valentine's Day, she tucks the paper heart under her lucky cowboy hat and plucks up her courage. But no amount of preparation or lucky charms can protect Violet from what happens next. After bumping into Mira, Violet trips and falls, and the whole class laughs at her. At recess, her hat flies away, leaving the valentine she made soaked with snow. It takes all Violet's courage and resilience to pick herself up, dust herself off, and express her feelings--but when she does, the results are more wonderful than her wildest dreams. The book's text is action-packed and heartfelt, capturing the juddering rhythms of Violet's nervousness, and the watercolor illustrations are suffused with emotion, detail, and movement. The gentle, child-friendly romance at the heart of the story is a perfect celebration of courage and queerness, and earnest, awkward Violet is a protagonist every reader will root for. Violet presents White, and Mira has brown skin. A sweetly empathetic, child-friendly girl-girl romance. (Picture book. 3-6)

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