A Squiggly Story by Andrew Larsen introduces the reader to a brother and sister. The sister loves to read and write her own stories. While watching his sister write one day, the boy voices his desire to write stories too.
His sister tells him that he can write too. The boy is not convinced. While he knows his letters, he feels that he does not know many words. The sister encourages him to use the words that he does know.
Before he knows it, the boy has developed his own special way of writing. A story begins to materialize on the once blank page. Along his writing journey, he becomes stuck and needs some help from his classmates. Will they be able to help him complete his story?
I found this book to be a fun read. As a fellow author, I could definitely relate to the boy's case of writer's block. I also found his creative way of writing to be very imaginative. The design of the interior reminded me of a comic book, which I think children will find very appealing.
The illustrations by Mike Lowery have a classic simplicity. I greatly enjoyed the humor hidden within the background images, such as the shark getting hit on the head with a soccer ball and the disappointed vampire. I did not, however, care for how Lowery portrayed humans. I feel like their noses all look like feet.
Overall, this is a great story that teaches children to use their imagination to create stories about the world around them. This book is best suited for children ages 5 through 10. I feel that this story could also be incorporated into a kindergarten curriculum.