Violet has lost her confidence—so when she’s cast as Ariel in her school’s production of The Tempest, she’s worried about speaking in front of a crowd. What if people laugh at her?
Her Nan, along with her Uncle Tony and Uncle Sebastian (who are a couple) offer ideas and support. Nan in particular has wise advice. Her drama teacher helps her get in touch with Ariel’s feelings. Violet practices and practices, and on the big night, she is ready to make her voice be heard!
This encouraging story is sweetly told by Ian Eagleton, with lovely and warm illustrations by Clara Anganuzzi. Notably, Ariel is referred to throughout with they/them pronouns, as befits Shakespeare’s ambiguous depiction of the character’s gender, but that is incidental to the storyline.
Violet, Nan, and Uncle Tony have light brown skin and dark hair; Uncle Sebastian is White.
Watch author Ian Eagleton read the story here:
