"Another volume in a successful Australian series. Allen’s grayscale drawings...both support and add appeal. This agreeable account should attract new Violet Mackerel followers."
Description
In this irresistibly charming chapter book, the charismatic Violet Mackerel knows how to stay upbeat—even when her throat feels as if there’s a cactus in it!
Seven-year-old Violet Mackerel has a new theory: If someone has a problem and you give them something small, like a feather, or a pebble, or a purple lozenge, that small thing might have a strange and special way of helping them.
Violet gets the chance to put “The Theory of Giving Small Things” to the test when a bad case of tonsillitis requires the removal of her tonsils, and she suspects that the purple lozenge from Doctor Singh may help her in quite an extraordinary way. And indeed, with a freezer stocked with breakfast ice cream, a wonderful new friend in the waiting room, and the certainty that surgery will transform her voice into that of an opera singer on the radio, Violet’s recovery proves more than extraordinary—it is, unquestionably, remarkable.
Reviews
"Violet is worried about getting her tonsils removed, even with promises of ice cream.... Young readers will identify with her nerves and laugh at her description of feeling rhinoceroses in her belly rather than butterflies.... Violet’s kind, patient mother shines in the story, as Branford once again creates a warm world for Violet, one in which the protagonist’s optimism spreads to others without any hint of the saccharine. Many new readers will identify with the story, enjoy the accessible vocabulary, and appreciate the expressive illustrations...that grace almost every spread."
“Violet is a truly charming kid to whom many young readers will relate. Her habit of creative thinking and theory formation, evident in the previous book as well, makes her a useful model as a problem-solver…. The gentle humor, numerous illustrations, short length, and large type will make this very accessible to novice chapter book readers; the skillful writing and concise but detailed characterizations make it worth their time.”
“This early chapter book, featuring pencil illustrations, will be a hit with fans of Amber Brown and Clementine.”
