Violet Mackerel's Natural Habitat

April 1, 2013
Seven-year-old Violet's Theory of Helping Small Things doesn't work out well for a ladybug, but it does inspire her big sister Nicola's successful natural science project. In this third in a series of Australian imports starring this appealing, inventive child, Violet turns her attention to small creatures: a sparrow in the shopping center and an undersized ladybug from the colony living under the fennel in the garden. Though Small Gloria doesn't survive in the habitat Violet builds, the beetle is appropriately honored in her sister's model of ladybug habitats, as well as being buried and remembered in a simple ceremony. A new verse for "These are a Few of My Favorite Things" helps to provide closure. The death of animals, whether through accidents or of natural causes, often weighs heavily on children, and this deceptively simple early chapter book takes such concerns seriously without getting stuck there. Each short chapter is a complete event, but readers will be led on by their need to know what happens next. The finished book will include black-and-white illustrations (not seen) and the distinctively designed chapter numbers (they look like they've been knit out of yarn) of previous titles. Readers who met Violet earlier will feel right at home. Still, this sweet family story stands alone and should attract new fans. (Fiction. 5-9)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 1-3-In this beginning chapter book, seven-year-old Violet Mackerel has a soft spot for Small Things, being one herself. She notices a sparrow trapped inside the local shopping mall and the ladybugs in her backyard. After being told to "buzz off" by her big sister, Nicola, for suggesting that she could use the ladybugs for her natural-science project, Violet decides to conduct her own experiment. She finds a jar and creates what she thinks is the perfect ladybug habitat. In the morning, "Small Gloria" is "the wrong way up," and the sisters offer each other some comfort. They work together to create a life-cycle ladybug project without removing any more of the insects from their natural habitats, and Nicola is awarded a special honorable mention for her project. Black-and-white pencil sketches placed strategically throughout provide additional plot support. The sweet and whimsical nature of the story will appeal to many readers.-Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN

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