The Crayons’ Book of Manners

PreS-Gr 3–A charming, tongue-in-check primer on basic manners from a familiar, beloved source. “Duncan’s crayons are perfect little angels who never, ever misbehave and always use their manners,” except for the few who don’t. The crayons are drawn in situations in which they’re being impolite; the main text is in a black font, but the asides by the crayons are printed text in gray. Some of them model good behavior to the others, saying “You’re welcome, by the way!” even when another crayon grabs their ball. The expressive colors pop on the white pages, and some drawings show the expected, much-revered sly sense of humor: the nude crayon, with its paper sleeve missing, announces “I’m naked.” The narrative ends with a reminder that it’s easy to be polite and then offers some common phrases of courtesy.