FICTION

Violet and Victor Write the Most Fabulous Fairy Tale

illus. by Bethanie Deeney Murguia. 40p. Little, Brown. Jan. 2016. Tr $17. ISBN 9780316212021. LC 2014026227.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 2—Twins Violet and Victor Small are right brain/left brain collaborators, who are writing their second book. Violet initiates the storytelling, but her brother's practical interruptions begin a series of exchanges that culminate in a story that pleases them both. This iteration by Kuipers and Murguia follows the same format as Violet and Victor Write the Best-Ever Bookworm Book (Little, Brown, 2014), and visual assists—color-coded notebook pages and dialogic font corresponding to each character's T-shirts (violet for Violet and orange for Victor)—help readers keep track of the action. The somewhat complicated narrative structure, alternating imaginary and actual events along with character voice, limits the title's use in a group setting, but young readers and writers will spend plenty of time examining the story on their own. Murguia's playful and lovely pencil drawings are matched to collages (book pages, paper sculpture, photographed objects, and more) that add layers to the visual narrative. The underlying message of cooperation and adaptation, perfect for 21st-century skills curriculum reinforcement.
VERDICT A fine addition to picture book collections, especially where the first book has fans.

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