A word of warning to dads: your young daughter is likely to adore this book, but you might want to watch your wardrobe!
Violet, a bunny, is the exuberant hero of Pink Me Up, and she has been invited to the 3rd Annual Pink Girls Pink-nic. She is already adorned in her favorite color, so she lays out a pink-tastic wardrobe for her mother, who is soundly sleeping, her head covered with a pillow.
Unfortunately, Mama wakes up covered with pink spots, so Violet's best day ever suddenly turns to the worst day ever. Daddy comes to the rescue, but Violet announces, "Boys are NOT pink!'
Daddy manages to pull out a pink tie from his closet, which Violet believes is hardly enough. With some creative collaboration (including markers, tape and stickers) Violet soon has Daddy looking pink-errific.
Author-illustrator Charise Mericle Harper has filled this book with energy and fun, and her simple acrylic illustrations shout modern style and vibrant colors—not all of them pink. (For the record, Harper reports that her favorite color is "sad blue," but there is nothing at all sad in this book, except for that brief moment when Violet fears she can't go to the Pink-nic.) The artist's bird's eye views are particularly effective, as we get an overhead look, for instance, at Mama trying to hide under the covers, and, a bit later, at Violet, who has thrown herself on the floor when she realizes Mama is ill.
Pink Me Up is a vivacious choice for a bedtime, library or school read aloud for young audiences, but be sure to have your audiences "pink" themselves up beforehand.
Alice Cary thinks pink at her home in Groton, Massachusetts.
