The Crayons Love Our Planet (Crayons)

PreS-Gr 2--Those silly crayons are back again, celebrating our colorful planet. Each crayon is proud of their contribution, from overworked Blue to cheerful Green. Beige adds the humor in this entry, insisting on adding stalks of wheat to every image. Purple consistently calls Beige out: no, wheat is not a fruit, nor an animal, nor a canoeing afficionado. However, at the end Purple is forced to agree with Beige's proclamation: "it's our job to keep the planet safe." The concise text is similar to recent crayon entries, instead of the original pair of lengthy titles, and thus is likely to appeal more to younger readers. While the main text of the story is accessible to early readers, the font of the crayons' contributions may prove difficult for some children to read independently. The crayons are reliable in their charm and humor, and many children will be happy to read another entry in the series. VERDICT Recommended for purchase where the crayon books are popular, and certainly to celebrate Earth Day.--Elizabeth Lovsin