Shrinking Violet

by Laurel Snyder, LeUyen Pham (Illustrator)

"Simply gorgeous in every way." —Shannon Hale, New York Times bestselling author

An inspiring modern fairy tale about a brave girl who shrinks and grows depending on how she feels, showing how all of us—no matter our size—are so much bigger than our fears. From Theodor Seuss Geisel Award-winning author Laurel Snyder and Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator LeUyen Pham.

Violet knows what it’s like to be when you’re afraid, you feel helpless and small. But when Violet is afraid, she doesn’t just feel small—she actually shrinks! It’s tough to stop feeling frightened when you’re only a few centimeters tall. But when Violet’s best friend is in danger, she’ll have to learn to deal with her fear in a new way—and save the day in the process.



Shrinking Violet is a beautifully illustrated story about fear and bravery for anyone who has ever felt scared and small. Readers will root for Violet as she finds her voice, stands up for her friend, and, most importantly, discovers the tremendous power of her own inner strength.

BIG Feeling small and afraid is a universally relatable experience. The shrinking metaphor at the core of Violet’s story will resonate deeply with young readers and demonstrate that being (or feeling!) small isn’t a weakness—it’s normal and completely okay.



EMPOWERING Violet is a strong female character who solves her own problems by learning to control and ultimately accept her feelings. Her story will feel familiar and wonderfully relatable to kids, and Violet is a positive role model in whom all young readers (especially girls!) can see themselves represented.



ALL-STAR Author Laurel Snyder, Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner, and illustrator LeUyen Pham, Caldecott Honoree, are children’s literature superstars with many bestsellers to their names. They're also real-life friends! This is the first project they've collaborated on, and they've combined their all-star talent to make a truly special story.


Perfect


Young readers experiencing worry or anxiety about scary things happening around them or in the world


Parents and caregivers looking for books that will help assure kids that it's okay to be afraid sometimes


Readers seeking stories that have a classic fairy tale feel


Gift-givers seeking a beautifully illustrated and deeply moving story

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Friendship

Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2026

About the author

Laurel Snyder is the author of six children's novels, "Orphan Island," "Seven Stories Up," "Bigger than a Bread Box," "Penny Dreadful," "Up and Down the Scratchy Mountains OR The Search for a Suitable Princess" and "Any Which Wall" (Random House) as well as many picture books, including "Charlie & Mouse," "The Forever Garden," "Swan, the life and dance of Anna Pavlova," and "Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher."

A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a former Michener Fellow, she also writes books for grownups, and is the author of a book of poems, "The Myth of the Simple Machines" (No Tell Books) and a chapbook, "Daphne & Jim: a choose-your-own-adventure biography in verse (Burnside Review Press) and the editor of an anthology, "Half/Life: Jew-ish Tales from Interfaith Homes" (Soft Skull Press).

Though Baltimore will always be her home, she now lives happily in Atlanta.

Reviews

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stellar author/illustrator pairing returns with Shrinking Violet, a modern fairy tale about a young girl and a bird who live together in a castle by the sea. Their friendship is tender and reassuring; whenever Violet’s fears overwhelm her and cause her to literally shrink, Bird quietly comforts her through the night, helping her feel safe and loved. When Violet wakes to discover Bird has disappeared, she must confront the very fears that have long held her back in order to help the friend who has always cared for her.

Illustrated in gorgeous gouache, the artwork elevates the story beautifully. Pham brings Snyder’s fairy tale atmosphere to life through swirling movement, dramatic scale, and striking contrasts that visually mirror Violet’s anxiety and emotional state. The result is immersive and emotionally expressive, with illustrations that carry much of the story’s emotional weight.

This is a thoughtful book about bravery, anxiety, emotional regulation, and friendship that could easily support classroom conversations around feelings and resilience. At times, though, the messaging feels a bit too overt, with the thematic focus occasionally overshadowing the narrative itself. Rather than allowing the emotional arc to emerge more naturally through the story, the lesson sometimes becomes the central focus. Even so, it is a visually stunning and emotionally sincere picture book that will resonate with many young readers.

[Amanda Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parent of a child with crippling anxiety, this book hit home - hard. My child reacts in a domino fashion to situations which cause him discomfort or fear. He often reacts so quickly that it creates a new situation which is worse than the initial problem, much like Violet. The underlying theme of strength and bravery is written into this book in such a way that the reader immediately feels stronger and more confident, just by reading about Violet. The illustrations are breathtaking. The colors and details create a fantasy world for the reader to experience with Violet, almost allowing an escape from reality. What a wonderful book to add to your collection!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Older kid ST. Fairy Tale. I'm not sure if this was a made up fairy tale, or one that we retold. But I was there for it. I love the girl who is afraid but learns to be brave for those she loves trope. Violet maybe scared of many things and she does shrink when she is scared. but when her best friend Bird is in danger she learns to grow tall and stand for what is right. It had a lesson, but was also realistic in it's telling, with a message at the end at that sometimes she was still scared, but other times she grew. Don't we all shrink and grow throughout our lives? Plus I love this illustrator and all her work.

[Roben]

Violet lives in a castle on an island with her dear friend Bird. There are things in the castle - like spiders and strange noises - that frighten Violet. And when she is frightened she shrinks. She fears that one day she will shrink away to nothing. But her mindfulness techniques and her friendship with Bird sustain her.

Then one evening she wakes up and Bird is gone! She hears his frightened cries. She reaches for her courage and goes to find her friend. But she gets smaller and smaller. Will she be able to help Bird?

[Kelly]

This one is fantastic. The story is so interesting and believable in how she shrinks but then grows again. It's about anxiety without ever saying that. It's about mindfulness without ever saying that. It's about being the strong you that is inside of you. The illustrations are great, too, and I love the pages where the book turns and Violet is so big. I know picture books are a hard sell for Newbery, but I'm thinking Newbery and/or Caldecott contender here. Not a surprise of course coming from this dream team.

[Carol Gordon Ekster]

This book is beautiful. The color palette and illustrations are so lovely. The concept is powerful. We all feel like we grow and shrink in certain situations. But I did want to feel more when reading it. However I think it will touch many children and be a great addition to book shelves in both the school and family setting.

[Gabriel Weaver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for regulating emotions.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were beautiful and fit the narrative while honoring the illustrator's background. I would have kept all the text in the same direction to make it easier to read to young children.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

EARC provided by the publisher

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Violet is a literal shrinking violet. When she gets frightened she shrinks. To save her faithful companion, she discovers strength to face fears.

[H]

This was so cute! Would be good to read aloud (I need to work on my "chirrup" though.)

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures. The story is fine. It didn't do much for me as an adult, but I can imagine little kids being really into the idea of Violet shrinking and growing.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

gorrrrrrrgeous art

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

dynamic story about a girl who struggles with anxiety/fear & learns how to be big & brave for her friend bird when he is injured. The text moves readers along well & the illustrations are very striking with a few page turns that reorient the book. I think a note about grounding exercises (how Violet gathers herself to go help Bird) would have been helpful but adult readers can bring that into the chat with littles