The crayons give thanks

PreS-Gr 1--The newest addition to the series launched by the much loved The Day the Crayons Quit. Here, readers meet a number of the crayons as they express gratitude for the blessings they have in their colorful lives. From being the perfect shade to color the moon or Amazon river dolphins to finding love when Mom's highlighter is dropped into the crayon box by mistake, the crayons are thankful and happy to be themselves. The addition of small pumpkins in the familiar, childlike illustrations from Jeffers, mixed with the overall theme of giving thanks, hints that this title is intended to be a Thanksgiving read. However, this book can be shared all year long. VERDICT An excellent addition to an established series expands the journey of the beloved characters children know and love.--Jennifer LaBurre

A few familiar friends explore gratitude. Daywalt's crayons have observed many holidays, from Christmas to Earth Day. On Thanksgiving, these anthropomorphic school supplies wax (pun intended) poetic about their favorite things to draw. "Blue is thankful for blueberries." (The accompanying illustration depicts the stubby crayon leaping into a pile of the fruit.) Black, on a page topped by dark scribbles, "is thankful for night skies." In an aside, Black adds, "Big, beautiful night skies I get to color in all by myself!" (Blue is perfectly fine with this.) Pink pipes up with "Three glorious words. Amazon. River. Dolphins"--which may spur readers to research these creatures. The tale turns a bit meta, too. Teal is thankful for family--both Blue and Green. Red, surrounded by hearts, is thankful for Neon Green Highlighter, who was accidentally dropped into the crayon box--a "dreamboat" for sure. Recognizable jokes from previous works make appearances; these callbacks will delight staunch fans, though others will find them tiring. Standard cheer and platitudes abound; the crayons are ultimately most grateful for each other. Formulaic fare that will nevertheless charm devoted followers. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.