Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Random House Books for Young Readers (2020), Edition: Illustrated, 40 pages
Description
What is a purple person? Great question. I mean, really great! Because purple people always ask really great questions. They bring their family, friends, and communities together, and they speak up for what's right. They are kind and hardworking, and they love to laugh (especially at Grandpa's funny noises)! A purple person is an everyday superhero! How do you become one? That's the fun part! Penny Purple will lead you through the steps. Get ready to be silly, exercise your curiosity, use your voice, and be inspired.
User reviews
LibraryThing member sweetiegherkin
Penny tells the reader what kind of things make for a "purple person" -- being curious, asking questions, standing up for others, working hard, etc.
So I picked up this book almost entirely because I like the author's acting work. The title didn't speak to me so I was curious to see where it went.
However, I didn't really understand the "purple person" part and why that was needed as a descriptor for what otherwise just seemed like being a caring, considerate person. The premise seems to be that being purple is a state of mind, not an actual physical characteristic ... but why "purple"?
So I did a bit of digging and it seems to come from the idea of not caring if people are 'black, white, purple, or green.' A lot of people on the Internet seem mad that this book isn't properly tackling racism, although I'm not quite sure if that's really what it's trying to do ... ? There is one line that says, "PURPLE laughing helps us remember the things we share and forget what we thought made us different," that at first glance sounds soothing like we are all in harmony, but it also makes it seem like differences are bad, which they aren't necessarily.
The illustrations are interesting; I don't love the style per se, but I do like that they feature a diverse cast of kids and that there are funny little details in them like a book titled "Gargoyles Love Enchiladas," which seems like a reference (dig?) to the picture book "Dragons Love Tacos."
Final verdict is that I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I see the concerns that people online expressed, but it also seemed like many of the people getting the angriest about this book didn't actually read it. I don't think I would recommend this title per se, but it wasn't as terrible as some folks were making it out to be (or as wonderful as some other folks were making it out to be!).
So I picked up this book almost entirely because I like the author's acting work. The title didn't speak to me so I was curious to see where it went.
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Most of the book is a very typical 'be kind' sort of book, not terribly different from many other books written that talk to young kids about being a good person.However, I didn't really understand the "purple person" part and why that was needed as a descriptor for what otherwise just seemed like being a caring, considerate person. The premise seems to be that being purple is a state of mind, not an actual physical characteristic ... but why "purple"?
So I did a bit of digging and it seems to come from the idea of not caring if people are 'black, white, purple, or green.' A lot of people on the Internet seem mad that this book isn't properly tackling racism, although I'm not quite sure if that's really what it's trying to do ... ? There is one line that says, "PURPLE laughing helps us remember the things we share and forget what we thought made us different," that at first glance sounds soothing like we are all in harmony, but it also makes it seem like differences are bad, which they aren't necessarily.
The illustrations are interesting; I don't love the style per se, but I do like that they feature a diverse cast of kids and that there are funny little details in them like a book titled "Gargoyles Love Enchiladas," which seems like a reference (dig?) to the picture book "Dragons Love Tacos."
Final verdict is that I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I see the concerns that people online expressed, but it also seemed like many of the people getting the angriest about this book didn't actually read it. I don't think I would recommend this title per se, but it wasn't as terrible as some folks were making it out to be (or as wonderful as some other folks were making it out to be!).
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LibraryThing member Linyarai
I know reviews are mixed online, but I loved this story. It may not have delved deep into racism like a lot of people expected, but I still thought it was a fantastic way to shine a light on kindness and being a helper and being true to yourself. I think it’s great to tell children to laugh and
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love and ask a ton of questions. The images were also adorable and full of snot and laughter. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020
Physical description
40 p.; 10.38 x 10.27 inches
ISBN
0593121961 / 9780593121962