Frankencrayon

Reviewed by: Patti Francis - Pownal Elementary School, Pownal, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 9, 2016

Review

Michael Hall, author of Red: A Crayon’s Story, is back with another amusing story starring crayons. In this funny, Halloween-themed tale, Frankencrayon the picture book has been cancelled. Pencil, the stage manager, explains what has happened. The crayon cast and crew have set the stage, donned their costumes and learned their line when suddenly the lights go out! When they are turned back on the crayons are horrified to see a scribble that runs across two-pages. The crew tries to make it better by scribbling over it but the scribble just gets bigger until the scribble is out of control and the whole picture book needs to be cancelled! The down-hearted cast and crew leave, forgetting to tell Frankencrayon, who is patiently waiting for his entrance on page 22. When Frankencrayon (made up from three crayons) appears, they are startled to find everyone gone. Frankencrayon soon solves the problem of the giant scribble and saves the picture book! The sheer simplicity of Halls brightly colored illustrations, a combination of digital art and colored crayon drawings and cut paper, add to the fun of this book. More crayon-related silliness for those who enjoyed The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. A great addition to a Halloween story time or a lesson on taking care of library books. Recommended for pre-K - 2nd grade

Overall Book Score: excellent