You know those kids who are just different? Velvet is one of them. On the first day of school, she gives the teacher an egg carton filled with treasures, including seven of her favorite rocks. She wears her sister's old sweaters. She brings in a milkweed pod for Show and Tell, while all the rest of the girls bring in dolls. And then there's her name...Velvet.
The other children in school aren't mean to her, but they do keep their distance. "No one wanted to be different the way Velvet was different." They don't quite know how to relate to her unusual ways.
But bit by bit, they see how those unique traits make her more interesting. When they visit Velvet's birthday party for example, they are surprised at first when there are no magicians, wizards, or clowns to entertain them. But when they're allowed to paint their faces, put glitter in their hair, and turn her room into a castle and jump off her bed into a blue-blanket moat, they join right in to the homemade fun. As the children get to know Velvet she begins to make sense to them, and they see that though she may be different, she's not quite so odd after all.
Odd Velvet has a special place in my heart and it's one of those books that seems to get everything right. The quirky illustrations are a perfect match for offbeat Velvet and the text is nicely paced to keep younger readers' attention. Parents who find themselves making choices that put their children in the "different" category (whether it's clothing, entertainment, spending, etc.) will certainly appreciate the positive example set by lovable Velvet.
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