Talk. Talk. My crayons talk. Yackity. Clackity. Talk. Talk. Talk. / Purple shouts, / Yum! Bubble gum.'/ Brown sings,Play, / Mud-pie day.' Every crayon in the box has something to say in this colorful picture book. The sounds bounce along, quick and rhythmic, in the upbeat rhyming text. With just a few words on each page, the exuberant illustrations create a special world, using paint, pencil, and, yes, crayons to show the narrator as she takes off in flights of fancy inspired by her colorful pals. Great fun to read aloud, this imaginative picture book is a natural lead-in to creative drawing and language activities, as long as you don't regard art period as quiet time. (Reviewed April 1, 1996)

A dozen crayons, each being true to their respective colors, talk to a little girl as she draws pictures. Ages 4-7. (May)