Michael Hall

Lillian, Tilly, and William J. start their energetic adventure when “They choose a spot. They spot some ewes.” The homophones and silliness continue until the exhausted cats relax with a good book. Boldly shaped, colorful illustrations illuminate the animated, rhythmic language.

Why would it be cancelled? What villain has added the red scribble to the picture book stage? With tongue in cheek, the author presents another humorous look at the life and interactions of crayons, this time riffing on old horror movies. Bold crayon characters (and scribbles) appear on open pages with varied typeface.

“Goodness! Gracious! Yikes!” exclaim a timid group of carpenter ants as they peer out of holes made by one brave insect, viewing a rainbow of color. What they discover instead of an ant-eating, ketchup-carrying, orange aardvark with pack of green geckos will delight young readers as they see the vivid colors through die cuts and bold shapes in this satisfying, humorous tale.

When small letter i’s dot falls off, Little i sets off to find it. Savvy readers will appreciate the send off and what Little i sees and experiences (such as the exciting and loud exclamation mark). Rich colors in textured illustrations present an artfully humorous alphabetic story.

Rich, alliterative language is used in intriguing similes to create a rhythmic text illustrated with bright colors and bold forms — animals created by one or many heart shapes. From the opening to the final page where a resting child cuddles with a teddy bear made from heart shapes, this book is sure to fascinate readers.

At the start, the square was perfect and red but things change and so does the square. In a series of images accompanied by playful language, the red square changes into different forms and colors, challenging the reader to think literally outside of the box — that perhaps change isn’t such a bad thing after all.

Red is misunderstood. He’s a red crayon with a label that says blue so he can’t draw a strawberry or even a stoplight. But when Red learns that he’s really blue, well, he regains his self-confidence. Child-like drawings combine with precise collages for a memorable and humorous take on expectations, labels, and self-confidence.

Several colorful letters are together on a playground. Because they are different (one is too round, another comes from the wrong side of the alphabet), they learn to come together in a very satisfying way. Bold graphic design and limited text create a memorable and easy-to-digest story of acceptance.

Autumn is a special time of year; it’s plentifall, eventfall, and a time to be thankfall. The play on words is the title of each short, engaging poem complemented by boldly shaped, fall-colored scenes. It’s a feast for the eye as well as the ear when read aloud.