ALA Booklist (Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Do young children care about how a book is written? Given the number of recent books on this subject, we can assume so, and this one, with examples of plot twists and revisions, has lots to offer. The endpapers introduce a hero, who is quickly changed to a potential heroine and then changed again: "Both? Yes, that works! Both." Then come explanations of concepts such as setting, plot, and conflict. Our young female author-illustrator begins to write her story, looking out at her readers and explaining changes that she makes as she goes along. The plot reflects a child's view of the world, as our hero and heroine rescue lost ducks in the midst of a battle. Accordingly, the simple illustrations, done in pencil and then colored digitally, look as if they are done by a child's hand, adding a joyful quality. The self-satisfied look on our protagonist's face on the final page may inspire other creators. Pair with How This Book Was Made, by Mac Barnett and Adam Rex, for another humorous look at book creation.

Kirkus Reviews

A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created. The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in "a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting." The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist's shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche's earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is "A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book" at the end with such words as "protagonist" and "antagonist" (glossed as "Hero and Heroine" and "Evil Overlord," respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch. Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)

School Library Journal (Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 2-A young girl is drawing a story as an unseen narrator coaches her and takes her (and readers) through a classic tale of good vs. evil. First the hero and heroine are introduced, along with a discussion of where they live ("Setting"). Next comes a direction for where the narrative will go: "As with any Good Story, ours has a Conflict, a problem that needs solving. And it's a good thing, too, because without a Conflict there would be no Plot." They must save the townsfolk from an evil overlord. The narrator corrects and questions the young artist's choices along the way, encouraging her to "try again" as her hero and heroine get sidetracked and make choices that are not conducive to making a "good story." So, this is a story within a story about the parts of a storyare you confused? Well, potentially, young readers may be as well without the help of a teacher or imaginative adult. A "Friendly List of Words Used In This Book" is included at the back with accessible definitions of parts of a story. The colorful, whimsical, and childlike illustrations are reminiscent of Ed Emberley's, and are thus very kid friendly and appealing. VERDICT An imaginative and creative way of educating readers about effective storytelling and elements of style. Great for sharing one-on-one or in a language arts classroom.Megan Kilgallen, Packer Collegiate Institute, Brooklyn