THE STORYTELLERS RULE

A metanarrative about creativity.

A gaggle of cute-as-a-button office supplies hatch a plan as an end-of-year writing assignment looms for Birdie, a light-skinned girl. While the pens, pencil, marker, ruler, and eraser all have fun names, they mostly act as an ensemble. These anthropomorphic Storytellers plant clues to help Birdie follow the three storytelling rules: Writers should pay close attention to the world around them, remember that putting something on the page is better than nothing, and know there’s only one person who can tell your story: you. Birdie, unaware of her magic helpers, struggles for inspiration and energy but acts on the hints. The dialogue is rendered in a chunky black font, while text in a plain font shares a play-by-play on some spreads. A palette of warm, bright hues and neatly shaded illustrations calms otherwise busy scenes. The actual issue of writer’s block could be lost on some children, but they can enjoy the familiar wonder of walking in a park, working at a messy creation station, and letting one’s imagination take flight. After meandering outside and working through an idea jar, Birdie is ultimately motivated by a simple Post-it note reading “What if….” While there is beauty in this simple solution, it does not spell visual or narrative intrigue for an already cerebral topic. For all the effort spilled onto these pages, nothing very interesting happens. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Underwhelming despite earnest efforts to inspire.