The Blanket Where Violet Sits
Age 3+
Picture Books
Cozy and expansive at once, this warm bedtime book reminds us that our aspirations—no matter how big—deserve the universe.
A gorgeous picture-book ode to wonder and safety, told in cumulative rhyme and with earthy illustrations evoking brick brownstones and crisp autumn skies. In a galaxy spiraling white, on a small blue planet with a moon so pretty, in a green park in a bustling city, a little girl sits on a blanket with her family, eating a sandwich, an apple, and chips. Equipped with telescope and space book, Violet gazes up into the great beyond, imagining a rocket ride to the stars . . . and a soft, sleepy return to her blanket. Lyrical and meditative, this is the perfect picture book to savor and share during a late-night picnic under the moon—or anytime.
Creators
Allan Wolf is the author of many award-winning books for children and teens, including No Buddy Like a Book, The Day the Universe Exploded My Head, The Blood-Hungry Spleen and Other Poems About Our Parts, and Behold Our Magical Garden. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
Lauren Tobia is the author-illustrator of Oscar’s Tower of Flowers as well as the illustrator of several books for children, including the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke, Baby’s Got the Blues by Carol Diggory Shields, Happy in Our Skin by Fran Manushkin, and Are You Sure, Mother Bear? by Amy Hest. Lauren Tobia lives in a tiny house in Bristol, England.
Reviews
Tobia’s perspectives shift from Violet and parents, gazing through a telescope, to an aerial view of their city, to the far reaches of the solar system, the galaxy, and beyond, and back again to Violet. . . . The snack (“a sandwich, an apple, and chips”), the memorable rhyme, and the very big idea all affirm that the child is at this moment the center of the vast universe. . . . . Stellar fuel for the heart and mind and an expansive storytime choice.
Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
In this preschooler’s introduction to the universe, a little girl’s city-set picnic with two loving caregivers zooms from the titular blanket out to “the known universe, past comprehension,” and back. . . . As Tobia’s paintings take in the solar system and the galaxy, they retain a warm informality while also achieving a sense of awe. Between the tried-and-true narrative structure and the centering of this abundantly loved child, this must be the coziest exploration of the universe ever.
The Horn Book
Wolf’s cumulative verse, which begins with cozy informality, turns statelier as thoughts of orbiting planets segue to consideration of our galaxy, clouds of galaxies, and the implication of possible limitlessness we can’t quite comprehend. . . exudes warmth.
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Step by step, using the rhyme, rhythm, and repeated images reminiscent of “The House That Jack Built,” the narrative returns to Violet sitting on her blanket in the park. Wolf uses the nursery rhyme’s structure effectively, sending listeners’ imaginations soaring before bringing them back to the familiar. Tobia’s pencil drawings, digitally enhanced with color and texture, create warm, inviting scenes in this mind-expanding picture book for young stargazers.
Booklist
A ‘The House That Jack Built’ narrative structure gives a night of stargazing galactic dimensions in this expansive picture book. . . . Befitting Wolf’s pleasing cumulative prose, Tobia’s pencil and digital renderings offer varied perspectives. . . Circling to a conclusion, the creators jointly emphasize the mystery and majesty of the universe, encouraging wondrous space-filled bedtime musing.
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
