For this month’s Kid Lit picks, I chose a duo of books that any Mitford fan will fall in love with. Remember the violet books that Cynthia Coppersmith (later Kavanagh) is so famous for authoring and illustrating? Cynthia may be fictional, but Jan Karon is not, and neither are Melanie Cecka or Emily Arnold McCully, who labored together to create two charming violet books that children of Mitford lovers will be sure to cherish.
Violet Comes to Stay
Release date: October 19, 2006
Age Group: 4-8
Overall rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Violet and her brother and sister were born in the kitchen pantry of a house on top of a hill. After receiving instruction from their mother on how to become good mousers, the time comes for each kitten to find a place in the world. Tried and rejected by two merchants for failing to keep the mice at bay, Violet wonders what God’s purpose for her is. Soon she is adopted by a bookseller who values Violet for who she is, and discovers God’s plan for her life.
A simple story with soft, charming watercolor illustrations and a lovable protagonist, Violet Comes to Stay effectively communicates the truth that God has a plan and purpose for our lives. My favorite illustrations in this book are the ones featuring Alice’s bookstore (particularly the second one), which are colorful and wonderfully detailed. This is a beautiful story that Mitford fans will definitely want to share with their children and grandchildren.
Violet Goes to the Country
Release Date: September 6, 2007
Age group: 4-8
Overall rating: ☆ ☆ ☆
A trip to the country promises to be an exciting new experience for Violet. But she soon discovers that a farm offers a lot of ways for a little cat to get into big trouble– especially when grumpy Uncle Leo is around. This charming city kitty usually steals the heart of everyone she meets, but can she win over someone who “never was much of a cat person?”
Violet Goes to the Country is a sweet story with illustrations as beautiful as those in Violet Comes to Stay. This book doesn’t have as evident a moral or lesson as the first Violet book, though I suppose a parallel could be drawn between Uncle Leo forgiving Violet after all the trouble she got into and God forgiving us after we make a mess of things. Overall, a likable book by a talented author and illustrator.
Other things you can do:
Visit Jan Karon’s website.
Visit Emily Arnold McCully’s website.
Purchase a copy of Violet Comes to Stay.
Purchase a copy of Violet Goes to the Country.
We love her books, but I wish there were more in the Violet series – these are wonderful, heartwarming lessons about God’s love and care for us.
I totally agree! She did write a couple of non-Violet picture books though… I’m looking forward to reading those.
These look adorable…just what you’d expect from a Karon effort!
I didn’t know Jan Karon wrote children’s books! I had the Mitford series on my shelf for years, having heard such great things about them. I still need to read them
In addition to these books presented by her, she also authored a couple of children’s books that aren’t related to the Mitford series… I’m hoping to review those sometime soon too!