Angela Johnson writes about a little girl who from the time she was born was interested in making music and her whole life wants to find people like herself. In the end, Violet finds other people like herself who want to make music too and she finds the people who are like her. The story teaches that as long as you are true to yourself you will eventually find the people who are like you and you can be friends with. A sweet message of acceptance and being your true self is the overall theme of this picture book. ( )

Violet dreams and thinks music all day long! She has loved music ever since she was in the crib. Violet spends years looking for people who love music as much as she does. ( )

Violet's Music was a cute read. The story tells the classic tale of a young girl trying to find where she fits in. From the day she was born, Violet's found any excuse to make music using any means possible. Unfortunately for her, nobody wanted to join in on her song. Not the other babies in the nursery, not her family, and not her classmates. It was always Violet on her own until finally, as a teenager, she meets some fellow musicians at the park- these musicians soon turn to a band, and this band becomes a group of lifelong friends. I chose this book solely based off the fact it was (another) book featuring a little black girl living a life with normal problems opposed to a civil rights era coming of age story or slave trade narrative. I simply cannot get enough of literature that presents normalized representations of people of color, as the options were extremely limited when I myself was the age of most children these books are made for. The art style is heavy on vibrant colors and painterly strokes. It also incorporates lots of varying textures used as overlays and accents- a detail that more than likely goes unnoticed unless staring intently at each page as I was. There isn't much of a plot to the text, though I don't think one was intended either. It's definitely the quick read you share with a class when you want to encourage moral development; in this case, a sense belonging or rhetoric about 'being yourself'. That being said, not every book needs a thrilling plot to be enjoyable, and Violet's Music is one of those. If anything, my only complaint would be that the story ends upon Violet making her new friends. I personally would've liked to see the book expand upon her band, although that in itself could be the story for another picture book entirely. ( )

Violet loves music from nursery age and searches for people like her, who share such interest. She searches the zoo, beach, and then the park. She plays or sings all day because it brings her joy. Her childhood was consumed by music and she did not find anyone who was as passionate about music like her, although she never gave up and stuck to what she liked. One day when playing in the park she heard and found others playing music, they became her friends and they later formed a band. Music made Violet happy and transformed the world around her and gave her a sense of being special. This book can show students kinds of music' importance in changing the world as well as knowing how to be yourself. ( )

"Violet's Music" is a cute book all around. The pictures are very colorful. I think this is a good book for child that is in the early stages of reading and enjoys to read about music and finding the right group of friends with the same interests. I would recommend my students to read this in the classroom and take a lesson from it. That lesson being don't give up just because no one else likes to do the same thing. It took Violet a little while, but she found friends who loved music too and they made band! ( )