Violet Shrink

Violet Shrink is a little girl who doesn’t like being around people and prefers the safety of her own world. When having to attend gatherings, Violet, who prefers to spend her time alone, experiences anxiety. Having to attend a birthday party, Violet, to avoid interacting with others, escapes into her own fantasies and hides under a table, imagining herself to be a shark hunting for sandwiches to eat. A few weeks later, Violet and her father are invited to an anniversary party, and, once again, Violet dreads the inevitable. This time, Violet’s response is to sit on the stairs away from everyone. There, she imagines herself to be a snake in pursuit of a piece of cake. To Violet, more people means more voices, louder voices, including hearing her relatives laughing so loud that she will hear them in the pit of her stomach. All Violet ever wants to do in these situations is to crawl into her blanket tent, put on her headphones and draw pictures of bats.

When Violet’s father tells her they are going to attend a “Family Reunion”, an event which will, of course, include many family interactions, Violet realizes she needs to be honest about her fears and confide in her father. With Violet’s confessing her innermost concerns on everything from not enjoying celery in her soup, to how her anxiety makes her feel physically, she and her father come to a satisfying compromise on how to deal with the upcoming event.

Carmen Mok’s illustrations, rendered in gouache, color pencil and graphite pencil, add charm and provide a very detailed, fantastical addition to the story.)

Although Violet Shrink might look like kindergarten-grade 4 level book, it could be used with even higher grades as a teaching tool to address differences. According to Anxiety Canada, “Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns for children and adults, affecting upwards of 20% of children and adolescents over their lifespan.” Books like Violet Shrink can serve as starting points for discussion with children and can serve as essential tools for parents and teachers alike in addressing anxiety.