This interactive, imaginative book opens with the drawing of a single line, used in each illustration that follows. Edwards charges the reader to identify that line in each of the completed illustrations. (It's a tough game, but don't worry, there is an answer sheet at the back.) Readers are then challenged to complete the story that each page introduces. Sometimes the prompt is an action ("Mr. Wolf was about to give up searching for his pet duck when . . ."), other times a rationale ("He preferred to write his own music because . . ."). This variation will keep readers on their toes, and the colorful illustrations created with watercolor, pencil, and gouache will continually surprise with unexpected depictions: an elephant in an umbrella, dinosaurs popping out of a king's balloons, a dog whose reflection is a cat. This is a charming reminder of the importance of a single line, and the fun of the creative process. Pair with Christopher Myers' My Pen (2015) for a different take on the power of the pen.

Gr 1-4 The cover asks, "Where do stories come from? How do ideas begin?" and the title answers, "Once upon a line." The book begins with a Harris Burdick -like framing device describing a folder of pictures found inside an old steamer trunk. Readers are invited to take the paintings and a humorous beginning line to develop original stories. Unlike Van Allsburg's mysterious, moody illustrations, Edwards's are more fanciful. Rendered in watercolor, pencil, and gouache, most of the pictures depict animals in strange situations. Many of the images are visual jokes, such as a chicken chasing an egg with legs, accompanied by the text "Once upon a line, there was a great race. No one knew who would come first until the fluffy one began to." Each full-page illustration is boxed by a white border on three, not four, sides, leaving even the pictures open-ended. By themselves, the funny pictures will amuse readers; going further, the situations should inspire creative writing. Edwards adds a puzzle element by hiding the same drawn line in each picture. An answer key is included at the end of the book. VERDICT The strange images may not be to everyone's taste, but they certainly take fans of the surreal in amusing directions. Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA