Bucking the Trend: Purplicious by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann

Fans of Elizabeth and Victoria Kann's Pinkalicious and Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy, paeans to all things pink and poofy, will want to take a peek at the Kanns' latest, Purplicious, a picture book which turns to a darker hue in the style wars.

"Pinkalicious" pursues her love of the color pink in everything she does, including art work at school, where she first draws the fire of elementary school style czarinas in the persons of classmates Brittany, Pauline, Sophia, and Tiffany.

"Pinkalicious, why does everything you paint have to have pink in it? Pink is passe' (that's French for 'over'!)" says Brittany.

"Pink is putrid!" adds Pauline.

"Yeah, pink stinks." says Sophia.

"We aren't going to be friends with a b-a-a-by!" taunts Tiffany. "Isn't it time you moved beyond pink?"

The style police inform Pinkalicious that black is the new pink and "all the girls like black now."

Pinkalicious is dismayed at the thought of giving up her beloved color and deeply hurt by the cutting words of the fashion four. Still, she soon realizes that she is unable to enjoy her pink clothes and decor in the same way anymore.

"Pinkalicious has the blues!"

Luckily Pink's mood is lifted by a friendship with a new girl who shows her that mixing blue with her favorite pink paint makes a delicious new color--purple--and she decides that it's as pretty as pink, but a bit more sophisticated as well. In fact, it's purplicious!

The bright computer-assisted illustrations are appealing--and revealing of this emotionally charged color crisis, especially the signs Pinkalicious makes and mounts on her walls as she broods over her dilemma: "I AM WHO I AM AND I LIKE PINK!" "PINK MAKES ME HAPPY BUT MEAN GIRLS MAKE ME SAD!" "PINK IS A LONELY COLOR!"

Some reviewers find Purplicious, a bit of a downer after the fluffy fantasy plot line of the previous book, but this one has the virtue of dealing with one of the real issues girls in Grades K-2 encounter. How far should a person go in pursuing her own passion? How much is too much of a good thing? How can a girl cope with her classroom's style mavens and remain true to herself? How can an understanding and resourceful friend help in dealing with the inevitable clash with the clique? Is there a middle ground in pop fashion trends? All these issues come up over and over in the elementary and middle school years, and this little story suggests some good coping skills simply and sweetly.