Frankencrayon

Like books about books, crayon stories seem to have become their own subgenre. Hall’s multilayered follow-up to Red: A Crayon Story belongs to both categories. A pencil narrates; it’s directing an all-crayon production of Frankencrayon. The creature—played by Purple, Green, and Orange, stacked precariously to monster height, with Green’s head appropriately sutured—and the other crayons have just discovered bright red notices stamped on the pages: “This picture book has been canceled.” Earlier, the lights went out and an angry red scribble appeared across the page. Who is the book defacer? The crayons’ attempts to cover the scribble only make it worse. Some imaginative crayoning helps the scribble get where it’s going, but the identity of the villain is kept secret until the final page. While the plot twists can get tricky to follow, Hall’s crisp-edged illustrations help keep things straight. Deadpan humor (it’s easy to imagine the costumed crayons saying their lines in flat, expressionless tones) and nested realities (the theatrical production, the world of the crayons, the book as a physical object) make for clever, provocative entertainment. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Anna Olswanger, Olswanger Literary. (Jan.) [/em]