Michael Hall (8) (1954–)

Although he worked hard and tried the best he could, Red just wasn't very successful as a crayon. He couldn't seem to live up to his label, always producing blue instead of red. Everyone had an opinion as to where the trouble lay, and what to do to fix it, but nothing seemed to help. The one day Berry came along and asked him to create a blue ocean. Finally, our crayon hero found something he could do, leading him to a better understanding of who he really was...

The third title I have read show more recently from author/artist Michael Hall, following upon Wonderfall and Frankencrayon, Red: A Crayons's Story taps into the recent fascination with crayons as picture-book heroes - see also: Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers' The Day the Crayons Quit, and its sequel - and offers an interesting exploration of issues of identity and social expectation. Although not explicitly addressed to any specific issue, I can see the narrative here working as a first exploration/explanation of something like transgender identity, or perhaps gender non-conformity. Because it only obliquely addresses such themes, it reminds me a bit of the Spanish picture-book, Bow-Wow-Meow, by Blanca Lacasa, which depicts a dog who enjoys cat activities. The artwork here, as in Hall's other books, is bold and colorful, with all of the crayon scribbles one would expect, given the story-line. Recommended to anyone looking for stories about individuals who (for whatever reason) don't seem to fit the role which society has allotted them. show less

Author/artist Michael Hall offers a poetic picture-book tribute to the beauties of autumn in this lovely collection, presenting fifteen short poems, each inspired by a particular portmanteau word, from 'peacefall' to 'watchfall.' A brief afterword gives more information about fall, and the coming of winter, from the perspective of the tree who provides shelter for the squirrels...

As someone who loves pretty much everything about autumn, from the colors to the seasonal celebrations, someone show more who also enjoys a good portmanteau word, I was pretty much guaranteed to enjoy Wonderfall - and I did! The brief poems work very well, both on their own, and as a narrative building toward the culmination of a snowfall, while the vibrantly colorful illustrations capture all the beauty of the season being depicted. Highly recommended, both to fellow fall-lovers, and to those looking for children's books about autumn, and the changing of the seasons. show less

"When a red-labeled crayon discovers he’s actually blue, he finds joy, ebullience and acceptance.

Red tries to be a quintessential red crayon, coloring fire trucks, strawberries, hearts and cherries, but no matter the object, they all turn blue. Fellow crayons begin to gossip. Some say he needs to press harder or grow out of it; others say he’s lazy or unintelligent. The other art supplies offer a makeover, taping and snipping away. But all fail to look beyond Red’s wrapper to what’s show more inside. Until Berry asks him to draw something blue. When Red succeeds, he feels free! He feels himself, and drawing becomes a delight. The personified crayons change their tune, claiming to have always known his true color. Digital illustrations, done in a graphic, cut-paper style in a primary palette, pop on their white or black backgrounds. And while the crayons themselves are not expressive, Hall’s compositions, manipulation of text, and simulated graphite and crayon markings convey a strong sense of emotion. Finding strength in his difference, Red captures that feeling of ease, self-acceptance and freedom in an exuberant, far-reaching sky.

Smartly designed and appealing, Red’s story offers much for discussion and affirmation. (Picture book. 4-8)" www.kirkusreviews.com show less

Red is the name on his label, but this crayon is decidedly not red. All the other crayons and art supplies try to be helpful by telling him things along the vein of try harder, apply yourself, etc. Nevertheless, his artworks never come out the right way -- red. Finally, a new friend comes along who encourages him to try something different and, lo and behold, being blue is so much easier and natural!

This was a delightful and, dare I say it, adorable picture book. The title popped up on a show more suggested reading list for LGBT kids and families and while I definitely see the applicability there, it is just a good book for talking about differences and being true to oneself on any level. I highly recommend it. show less