What did you like about the book? This book consists of a series of colorful and whimsical illustrations accompanied by a few lines of text that serve as story starters. All begin with “Once Upon a Line” and most involve animals. For instance one painting depicts a pig in a suit atop a very large fish: “Once upon a line, a fisherman tried out his new fishing pole. He was admiring the fine workmanship when suddenly…” The book begins by saying that the paintings were found in an old trunk belonging to a magician and that “each picture starts with the same pen line.” Most readers will find it very difficult to find the same pen line in each drawing, but there is an answer key at the end. This is a book that would be useful for aspiring writers.
Anything you didn’t like about it? / To whom would you recommend this book? This would be a good book to use with a creative writing class. Children who like to write stories will enjoy the “story starters.” Pair it with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg.
Who should buy this book? Public libraries
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