Violet

September 28, 2009
In the world imagined by this debuting team, everyone is a person of a single color—specifically, red, yellow or blue—except the eponymous and literally named heroine, the offspring of a mixed marriage (mom is red and dad is blue). Violet, anticipating the first day of school, is nervous about making friends and fitting in. And while her fears are partially founded when students are surprised to discover the color of her parents, Stehlik’s message remains upbeat. “People come in a whole rainbow of beautiful colors,” Violet’s mother tells her.... “Just be yourself. People should like you for who you are, not what color you are.” Readers, especially girls, may find more to love in Jovanovic’s digital drawings. Although the setting is clearly the lower grades of elementary school, long-limbed Violet and her peers look like middle schoolers, and the hand-drawn feel of the pictures brings to mind the anime-influenced journal marginalia of an intensely emotional adolescent. If the message is less than subtle, it should still be a comfort to readers, particularly those of mixed heritage, who struggle with belonging. Ages 5–8.