Odd Velvet

Annotation
Although she dresses differently from the other girls and does things which are unusual, Velvet eventually teaches her classmates that even an outsider has something to offer.

From the Publisher
Velvet is an odd girl. She brings a milkweed pod for show and tell. She wins the class art contest using only an eight-pack of crayons. She collects rocks. Even her name is strange. But as the school year unfolds, the things Velvet does and says slowly begin to make sense. And, in the end, Velvet's classmates discover that being different is what makes Velvet so much fun. Full-color throughout.

From the Critics
From Kirkus Reviews  
Two newcomers celebrate oddity and making do with less in this story of a girl named Velvet. Unlike her peers, she wears hand-me-downs, carries her lunch in a brown paper bag, owns only eight crayons, and brings a milkweed pod instead of a doll for Show-and-Tell. Gradually her differences are seen as advantages when she wins a class drawing contest and successfully entertains her classmates at an innovative birthday party. It's unfortunate that all of Velvet's "odd" qualities seem to stem from having less than her classmates, who give the teacher nicer gifts, wear new clothes, and carry store-bought lunch pails—-the point is as strong without emphasizing economic differences. Crayola-bright illustrations rely on the exaggeration of facial features for effect—-eyeglasses as large as Velvet's face, a boy whose piano-sized smile sports braces. The story lands where it was headed; different is not odd when it's understood. (Picture book. 4-7) .
 

CUSTOMER REVIEWS - An Open Forum
Number of Reviews: 1    Average Rating:

A reviewer, , March 17, 1999,
A gentle tale of acceptance
Velvet has a golden childhood. She finds beauty and joy in the smallest things and the simplest pleasures. Seemingly without any concern for peer group criticism, she carries on unaffected by the observations and mild teasings of the other children in her class. Eventually, of course, they come to appreciate Velvet's perspective, and the class princess even considers her a friend (no small feat in real life). The skewed perspective of the illustrations works to bring the focal point to the fore. Squatters at the back of the classroom's reading rug can easily see the most important detail without being distracted by other detritus on the page. This book is one of those high-demand repeats in our kindergarten and first grade classes. On a larger scale we adults yearn to meet the parents of this special child. We are left to wonder if the family is of lesser means, or if they have discovered the richness of a simple life by having had that 'other life' before children came along. Either way, they must clearly have one of those home environments of love and acceptance that thoughtful parents strive for.