Violet's Music

by Angela Johnson, Laura Huliska-Beith (Illustrations)

There's nothing Violet loves more than music, and she plays or sings every chance she gets.  But where are the other kids like her-kids who think and dream music all day long?  As a baby, in kindergarten, at the beach and the zoo, she never gives up looking for companions.  And then one summer day... Bright, lively, and lyrical, this is a book for kids who march to a different drummer.  Violet's Music sings to us that the right friend is always out there-as long as we keep looking and hoping, and above all, staying true to ourselves.

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Friendship, Cultural

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Angela Johnson is the author of the Coretta Scott King Honor picture book When I Am Old with You; as well as A Sweet Smell of Roses, illustrated by Eric Velasquez; Just Like Josh Gibson, illustrated by Beth Peck; and I Dream of Trains, which was also illustrated by Loren Long. She has won three Coretta Scott King Awards, one each for her novels Heaven, Toning the Sweep, and The First Part Last. In recognition of her outstanding talent, Angela was named a 2003 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Kent, Ohio.

Reviews

[Alexa Morales]

This children’s book is about girl named Violet who was musically inclined since she was just a few hours old. As a baby, she was able to create music by simply shaking a rattle. She searched for other babies to create music with her, but none of them could play along. So she played the rattle all by herself. As a toddler, she created music with materials that her aunt gifted her for her birthday. She tried and tried to get her family to play music along with her, but they could not. Once again, she played music all by herself. When Violet entered Kindergarten, she wondered if other kids enjoyed music as much as she did. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Throughout the years, she created music everywhere she went, and hoped to find someone who would join her. With no luck, she never found that person. Until one summer day. On one summer day, Violet was playing the guitar at the park. Suddenly, she heard other artist making music as well. She heard a drum player, a saxophone player, and a singer. All of them always looked for someone like them everywhere they went, until they unexpectedly found each other one summer day at the park.

[Edouine Champagne (MB) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story, how Violet loves to play music so much! However, no one wanted to play music all day long. Reading Violet's piece reminded me of my daughter when she played a plastic clarinet. She played that instrument endlessly and enjoyed playing it every day. She wanted all of us to play with her. Like Violet, there's nothing she loves more than music, and she plays or sings every chance she gets. (she still does to this day, with a real clarinet, and she plays around the symphonies competition). But where are the other kids like her kids who think and dream music all day long? When she was one or two years old, she made an audience with her dolls when her cousin wasn't around to play with her. One day my husband when to a group study at Barnes and noble; he found Violet's music. It reminded him of our daughter and bought it for her. I have to admit I admire Violet's determination, and the right friend will always be out there as long as she remains consistent.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

A cute little story about a girl that breathes music ... and finds others that love it just as much!

Ages: 4 - 6

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[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the time she was little, Violet loved music and making music. She searched for those like her everywhere - the nursery, the beach, school. Readers see her continue to believe they were out there and to not give up. Finally, she finds others who love making music as much as she does and they join together to form a band.
Readers see her grow up and keep following her dream.
Perfect to talk about perseverance and passions.

[Julia Tetreault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title : Violet's Music
Author: Angela Johnson
Illustrator : Laura Huliska-Beith
Genre: Music and Movement
Theme(s): instruments
Opening line/sentence : When Violet was a baby, just a few hours old.
Brief Book Summary : This is a story about a young girl, who loved to play music every since she was a baby. She would find anything that made noise, she would constantly make music out of everything she found.
Response to Two Professional Reviews : A Kirkus reviewer wrote, that the joy children have when they make music. That this is a great way to introduce, because there is not many books like this that express the joy and fun children have making music with noise. From publisher weekly, it was expressed from their delight of the book. That it is important for children to find themselves in the music they make.
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): Fun, creative way to interact with children
Dislike(s): none
Patterns(s): Music ever since she was a baby and growing up still loving music and making music.
Puzzle(s): none
Consideration of Instructional Application : Great way to introduce music by rattling noisy toys. Helps children creatively, to understand that you can make music, even if its not an instrument. You would a great way to introduce a circle time with props for the children to shake to a song.

[Madison Roark]

This book for me can be read in second or third grade because it teaches the lesson that everyone likes different things and just because people like different things doesn’t mean that you should stop liking your thing because you will find your people and maybe the thing you love will help you find them and in this case it was music. The activity that I would do for this book would be: I would have the kids get a piece of paper and have each of them draw what they dream of doing and write a paragraph about why they love doing that thing and include how it makes them feel, how they do it, do they know others that like to do that activity, and so on. This would help my second/beginning third graders get practice with writing a paragraph. For a music concept I would have the kids bring their pencils to carpet time and just like Violet does we would make an instrument out of our pencil, then split the kids up into groups, let each group make their own song, and then I would have each group come up and perform their song in front of the class!

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

The concept of this picture book seemed appealing, but the rhythm is inconsistent for a read-aloud, and the story requires too much suspension of disbelief. Over and over again, Violet appears in different scenarios where she hopes that someone will share her love of music, but no one ever does. The story shows her feeling left-out and different over and over again until the end, when she finally meets fellow musicians as a teenager and forms a band.

The majority of the book feels discouraging, and this is wildly unrealistic. Someone she crossed paths with would share her interests, and if not, why didn't her parents sign her up for music lessons? Even if they couldn't afford private lessons, they could have found community groups or SOMETHING where Violet could have connected with other musicians.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the older kids and parents at storytime "got" the message of the story more than the preschoolers did. The idea of eventually meeting folk like you sinks in better when you've been places where you didn't fit, and that just takes a few more years on the planet. Still, the little guys could understand the idea of sticking with something you love. Plus, sound effects and musical instrument opportunities always make for a fun storytime!
I liked the pictures, very bright and playful. Enjoyed the multicultural aspect to the story too. Will be pulling this one out for storytimes again in the future.

[DeCarla Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiction
Grades 2-6
This book makes me think that some gifts people are born with. And I truly believe this. Some people at the youngest age that they can remember have had gifts. And in some case we look for people to share our gifts with. Sometimes it might take a while and sometimes you can get discouraged. But you cannot quit because it is your calling. And you will eventually find others who share the same things that you love

[Kaitlyn Inman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a very interesting book about music. I like how Violet makes instruments out of things she finds laying around. This reminds me of elementary school when we had cardboard mandolins that we would play with. I would say this book is a sliding glass door because my younger brother can pick up anything and make music out of it. Overall, this book was a very cute book to be read to in music class.

[Jenese Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting because its about a little girl who's looking for other people who loves music as much as she does. She was looking everywhere for a band of friends to play with when she found out they were looking too. Its a nice short story about finding friends with the same likes and interests.

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, straightforward story about a musical child who longs to find other kids like her who love to play music all day. Violet and her family have brown skin, and people of various skin tones and hair styles are depicted throughout the book. Onomatopoeic words scattered throughout the book.

Themes: Music; Heroines
Age range: 4-8

[Correna Dillon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a lovely book with bright vibrant illustrations about a girl named Violet who loves music and wants to find friends with a similar melodic inclination. This is portrayed as a struggle for her. While she waits to find friends to bond with, she makes instruments at home with her aunt. The book ends with her meeting a multicultural group of friends who play music together in the park.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant story about a girl searching her whole life for music. The words are bit longish, so I abridged the text. And the pictures were a bit busy in places, so in a classroom setting some of the kids had trouble seeing where Violet was in the pictures. But overall, a nice story that I used for a Black History Month music story time.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story about finding your people. In our small town, there are so many kids who suffer because they think they're weird because no one else is like them. Then they go to college and they find friends. This book is an awesome reminder. I would totally read it to my high schoolers.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a music lover, so I did not connect to it in a musical sense. However, I appreciate the theme in the book that people have different talents and interests. When we find others like ourself, it's special and fun.

[Matt Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This beautifully drawn simple story spanning several years reminds readers of all ages that if you keep on playing, you will find your band.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violet loves music. She looked for others like her. It took a long time to find them. It was ok to be alone, but it was ok to be together too.

[Helen Ladson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember a time that I felt like Violet! I love this book and I really enjoyed reading it!

[Raven Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a great book for a fun story time. Good story and fun illustrations

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice for a change - from Pinkalicious and Fancy Nancy

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is about a girl finding her band.

[Maeve · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rhythm/flow of the words just don't quite work for storytime. /:

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

From day one of her life Violet loves music and tries to find others who do too.

Colorful illustrations make this story fun.

[Taylar Sizemore]

This book has a lot of figurative language, especially onomatopoeias, and the illustrations accurately matches the plot line.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet looks for musicians all through her life and finds a band through her persistence.

[Barbara Lovejoy]

Loved the message of this story—a great message for both children AND adults.

[Valerie Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet story about music loving Violet who finds like minded friends. The message- "Keep looking and you'll find your tribe."

[Emily Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Violet tried since birth to find some similar children like her to play music with her. She tries everywhere until she is older and finds some fellow minded children in the park. Violet keeps her love for music, and finds children who are just as passionate as her.

Theme: Never give up on who you really are.

I took away from this story that if you stick with who you were meant to be there will always somewhere be someone who is like you. Violet could have given up on finding music or friends and changed her mind to be like others. But since she waited, she found an amazing group of people who love music just as much as her. Now she is happy and fulfilled, and it was all because she stayed true to herself.

I think this book should be read to children who are going through a time period of trying to find themselves. This book might encourage them to stick with their passions no matter how discouraging if it is what you love to do. If everyone gave up or quit because they could not find anyone similar then the world would be a very simple world with no crazy differences that make it such a diverse place to live. People like Violet are the ones who are role models and people will look up to her.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: There's nothing Violet loves more than music, and she plays or sings every chance she gets. But where are the other kids like her—kids who think and dream music all day long? As a baby, in kindergarten, at the beach and the zoo, she never gives up looking for companions. And then one summer day...
Bright, lively, and lyrical, this is a book for kids who march to a different drummer. Violet's Music sings to us that the right friend is always out there—as long as we keep looking and hoping, and above all, staying true to ourselves.

Potential Audience (reading level): grades 2-6; late early

Genre: Fictional picture book

Topic: music, finding friendship

Specific curricular uses: This would be a good read aloud book for second grade: you could have the kids could make the sounds of the instruments.

Social issues the book addresses: being different from the crowd, finding where you belong

Specific literary elements: onomatopoeia (ex: the author uses words like "twang," "pluck," and "plink" to describe when Violet plays instruments)

Interactions and counter actions of text and images: The images in this book are colorful and innovative with their use of texture (the illustrator used the idea of letters cut out of a magazine to make some of the words and also used what looks like a real fabric texture with some of the clothes). I think the pictures are so bold because Violet is so confident and passionate about her love of music. The pictures enhance the text because they give us a sense of how bright Violet's world is and how her love of music helps her to see the world so vividly.