The World Needs More Purple Schools

My Purple World #2

by Kristen Bell, Benjamin Hart, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrations)

It's back to school with Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart! Learn how to paint your school purple with this follow-up to the #1 New York Times bestseller The World Needs More Purple People.

Penny Purple taught us how to be a purple person. A person who finds common ground with others while celebrating what makes them unique! Now Penny and her pals will put their purple skills into action in their very favorite place -- their classroom! How do you make a purple school? It will take curiousity, sharing, hard work, and lots of laughs!

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Back To School, Fiction, Inspirational, Kids

40 pages, Library Binding

Published June 21, 2022

About the author

Kristen Bell is a mostly grown adult who spends much of her time pretending to be other people. She finds this pursuit oddly rewarding, mostly because of the free food. She is also an actress and producer who has starred in such films as Frozen, Bad Moms, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall, as well as the television series The Good Place and Veronica Mars. She has been a guest editor for Parents magazine and has been featured in parenting articles on platforms like Motherly, Real Simple, Babble, and more. She also produces and stars in the web series Momsplaining for EllenTube.

Reviews

[Susan ...relish every word!!! · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book..and the other one “The World Needs More Purple People”…are truly AMAZING!!! After reading them it is soooo true…that the world truly needs more purple people…and I am going to make some truly purple kinders this year in my classroom!!!

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It’s a celebration of showing respect for each other, inclusion & diversity. It showed kids working together & sharing ideas. It would be a great book to read in classrooms at the start of the school year.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penny Purple explains and shares her thoughts and ideas on how the reader can make their school as purple as hers. There are a lot of helpful hints and insights to make it happen.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well-intentioned picture book, but it didn't really grab my attention. Penny Purple, last seen in the previous The World Needs More Purple People by the same creative team behind this book, extols the virtues of purple schools, places where a diverse student population enjoys being curious about the world around them and asking (or wondering) about big and little questions. Working hard and developing speaking and listening skills are essential for a purple school, according to Penny and the text and illustrations. But most of all, purple schools encourage their students and presumably their faculty to indulge in play and silliness as well as just embracing their own unique identities. I suppose the idea of a purple school makes this book and its predecessor more appealing to readers, but the school itself sounds like what a good school with a strong curriculum would do. This book certainly begs the oft-asked question of what an education entails and what it means to be educated. Colorful, child-filled digital illustrations complement the text. Teachers might want to share this title with their students before asking what their idea of the ideal school might be. It is worth noting that there isn't a mention of accountability, test preparation or high-stakes testing. Hooray! While I don't know if the world necessarily needs more purple schools, it certainly needs schools that encourage creativity and critical thinking.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars for this one that has potential but falls short

[Read Ribbet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actress Kristen Bell and her co-author Benjamin Hart follow up their book The World Needs More Purple People with this new picture book focused on Purple Schools. Using the premise that bring together different people like purple brings together red and blue, good things can happen. Their book outlines and illustrates five criteria to be a purple school. In fact, the paper cover turns into a Purple School Criteria poster when turned over. The book celebrates inquiry and learning and promotes joy and kindness in the school setting. It would be a good book to use in defining or adjusting classroom culture. There is much environmental print embedded in the illustrations as well as talking bubbles for readers to read separate from the main text.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read on the heels of book 1, The World Needs More Purple People, this one is good but not quite as wonderful as the first.

The cast of characters will look very familiar to readers of “Purple People” and this is a positive. Familiarity does NOT breed contempt for most children and the diversity in skin tones, hair color/styles, body shapes, assistive devices such as wheelchairs and glasses, and a variety of ages including parents, grandparents and community members remains excellent. The reinforcement of the 5 steps to being purple (ask good questions, laugh a lot, use your voice, work hard, and be the real you) is present but this time placed almost exclusively in the school setting. The questions are generally directed to teachers but this time, readers/listeners are encouraged to ask questions of classmates and family in order to get to know them. That display of good citizenship is augmented with advice to respond positively to good questions, ideas and performance, as well. Play and the laughter that comes while doing it is not only present at recess but during brain breaks in class (a nudge that adults should pay attention to) and in joking around with friends (and here, chocolate milk spewing might or might not be illustrated).When addressing the “use your voice” element of purple-ness, children are advised to not only express their opinions but to respect and listen to those of others. Working hard, of course, is applied to school work but also extended to clean up activities inside and outside the school and even into the community.

Daniel Wiseman’s illustrations are realistic, brightly colored and full of details that extend the text, however, I wasn’t all that thrilled with the unreal solar system at the beginning of the book. Messaging is positive and encourages children to be true to themselves without allowing it to hurt others. As in the first book, there are no attempts to address differences in religion, politics or sexual identity viewpoints. Both “Purple” books are highly recommended for use in SEL lessons and to help children recognize their own needs and worth while also interacting positively with others.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a celebration of showing respect for each other, inclusion, and diversity in school. Different people have different strengths, interests, and tastes, and that's okay! Instead of ostracizing or making fun, ask someone about themselves and be welcoming.

At first, I agreed with others who pointed out that the book has a great goal, but is so busy that it has difficulty finding its voice and its message. Then I turned to the page in which a little boy isn't as enthusiastic about the circus as his classmate, explaining that he disagrees with how the animals are treated. His classmates didn't make fun of or dismiss his concerns; they just asked him why he felt the way he did and they came to a compromise. As a kid who was more often than not, put down by both other kids and adults for caring about animals, that scene really put a lump in my throat. It's also a gentle reminder that compassion for animals is okay, and should be a welcome viewpoint in the classroom that kids shouldn't be afraid to share.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

According to author Kristen Bell, what is a purple person? It's a person who finds common ground with others, all the while celebrating what makes them unique!

Sounds to me like a pretty complex task for an adult, let alone a preschooler.

HOW DOES ONE MAKE A SCHOOL PURPLE?

"To make a your school PURPLE,
you have to start with wonder and curiosity."

Quite some neat trick! Since ALL children with normal functioning start their lives with plenty of wonder and curiosity.

Look, any picture book that encourages children to go to school.. deserves FIVE STARS. Who am I to withhold them? However, I will comment a bit following this review.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 2 out of 5]

School Library Journal writes "the message [of this book] is inspiring. Ask questions, advocate for positive change, and have fun while collaborating." Yes, these are all to be found in the book. Plus, children in wheelchairs, girls in hijabs. There is diverse representation.

I just cannot get into the whole "purple" vibe. Sure, it might be Kristen Bell's favorite color (plus works with the whole blending and mixing thing) but I'm just not a fan. To me, these are celebrity written books that are "meh."

[Ryan]

Once again this book feels like Kristen Bell. It has the same message as the “The World Needs More Purple People”. That message is to be who you are but to also listen and look after others. To ask questions to be respectful and give others as much time as you want for yourself. That everybody is equal because they are a person. I love the message of this book and the ideas behind it. I do think this book is shorter than the first one and would be a fantastic read for any classroom.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading 'The World Needs More Purple People' and feeling confused, I read this hoping to gain more clarity on what a 'purple' person is. I'm still confused. Our children are smart; they need proper adjectives, not more purple.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s got the same problems as the first book, but the color purple trumps content for my five-year-old niece. I continue to be surprised that Kristen Bell didn’t command something more substantial to attach to her name.

[Cyndy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Playing is one of the most important parts of learning!" This is a good second book in the series. It has been a while since I read the first in the series, but this book didn't quite give me the feel-good vibe that I felt from the first book.

[Maggie Ensign · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light-hearted delivery that appeals to the overall message of inclusion. Encourages kindness and celebrates individuality, fit for grades kindergarten and first. Has prominent symbolism but the overall language is accessible for the younger intended audience.

[Marina]

While it touches on good points - work hard, be kind, be you, etc, it reads a bit too didactically for me.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Anneliese Grassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous fun book to teach kids how to be kind to one another and have fun doing so. The pictures are perfect to go along with the message. And Kristen Bell!! I’m fan girling a little bit. 🤩

[Sarah Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s very similar to the Purple People book. Just schools instead of only people.

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about schools and learning

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eAudio courtesy of Volumes in exchange for my honest review.

[Jennifer Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this story had potential but fell short. It didn't hold my attention and I'm not sure how much it'll hold a kid's attention.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute premise, but this just did not hold my child's attention.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't hold up to the original. The book jacket poster and stickers were a nice touch.

[Timothy Morrison]

Always ask why

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!!! Every teacher needs this in their class.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the ideas presented in this book. All great ideas for kids and adults to learn from. I wish it was more of a story story than presenting idea, but it was good though.

[Emily Holladay · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom was with us when we read this book and she said, “this is the beginning of school year gift I would have gotten my teachers if it had been around when I was still a principal.”

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice school story - this was a gift from Girl Scouts.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. CathyR