Violet's Magical Journey: A Story of Adoption

PreS-Gr 2—The author describes Violet as a "very independent and high-spirited" fairy, whose curiosity is piqued when she spies human children learning how to skate. She is confused as to why they laugh despite falling down repeatedly. Determined to figure out this experience, Violet decides, with the help of a wizard, that she is to become human. Violet is magically reborn and named Melanie by her new parents. When she is almost seven, she learns to skate, and that leads her to truly grasp that "fun needs no purpose!" Fanciful, naive-style pastel watercolor drawings complement the text. The author initially presented this story as a puppet show for her adopted daughter's fifth birthday party. Although this work could be considered a quirky story about the magic of becoming human and joining an adoptive family, the overall message about adoption is muddled. Preschoolers will likely find Ann Turner's Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies and Karen Henry Clark's Sweet Moon Baby easier to understand, and elementary-age children looking for reasons why adoption happens can enjoy Linda Pettitt's Yafi's Family.