2020
WISE Score
Amazon
Kristen Bell’s guide to being a decent human, wrapped in a purple metaphor that actually makes sense to a five-year-old.
4.8
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This is a solid addition to the bedtime rotation. It avoids the typical 'you are special' fluff and instead focuses on actionable traits like curiosity and kindness.
It’s fast, bright, and won't make you want to hide the book under the couch after the third repeat reading. It’s a rare celebrity-authored book that feels like it was written for kids rather than for the author's brand.
Perfect for the 3-7 crowd. It’s simple enough for a toddler to sit through but has enough meat for a 1st grader to actually think about their own character.
It’s a blueprint for being a good person. It models curiosity, hard work, and kindness without feeling like a lecture. The tone is upbeat and emotionally grounded.
The 'purple person' metaphor is a clever way to explain abstract character traits to kids. Daniel Wiseman’s illustrations are bright and full of little details that keep kids looking.
Zero safety concerns. It’s a picture book about being a kind, curious human. No surprise scary bits or inappropriate themes.
It pushes kids to ask big questions and find common ground with others. It’s great for social-emotional learning and building a sense of community.
Most celebrity-penned children's books feel like a marketing meeting in paper form—bland, overly sentimental, and clearly designed to sell at airport kiosks. The World Needs More Purple People is the rare exception. Kristen Bell has managed to distill her specific brand of high-energy, intentional parenting into a guide that feels practical rather than preachy.
It works because it doesn't just tell kids to "be nice." It gives them a job description. The book breaks down being a "purple person" into five distinct steps: ask great questions, laugh a lot, use your voice, work hard, and just be you. It’s essentially a starter kit for emotional intelligence, delivered with the kind of bright, bouncy energy you’d expect from the voice of Anna.
If you’re reading this in 2026, the "purple" metaphor—mixing red and blue—is even more obvious than it was at launch. While the book never mentions politics, it’s clearly a response to a polarized world. It’s teaching kids to find the middle ground and look for commonalities before differences.
For a five-year-old, this isn't a lesson in civics; it’s a lesson in curiosity. The book spends a significant amount of time on the "asking questions" phase. It encourages kids to ask things like "How does that work?" or "How does that make you feel?" rather than just waiting for their turn to talk. In a world of algorithmic feeds and echo chambers, teaching a kid to lead with a question is a genuine competitive advantage.
If your kid has already cycled through The Day the Crayons Quit or Be Kind, this is the logical next step. It’s less of a narrative story and more of a manifesto for preschoolers.
This isn't just a "read it and close it" book. It’s a framework. You can actually use the "purple person" label as shorthand in real life. When your kid is stuck in a frustration loop, asking "What’s a curious question we can ask about this?" is a lot more effective than just telling them to calm down.
It also pairs well with understanding the author’s broader philosophy. Bell is famously vocal about her parenting style, which balances a massive public profile with a very grounded, "no-smartphone" approach to raising kids. Reading this book gives you a direct line into that ethos—it’s about being a "helper" in a world that often feels like it has enough critics.
If you want more specifics on the book’s reception or to see what other parents are saying, you can check out the reviews on Common Sense Media. It’s one of those rare titles that maintains a high floor; even if it doesn't become your kid’s absolute favorite, it’s guaranteed to spark at least one decent conversation.
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