The Story Factory

December 15, 2024
Old ideas are constantly recycled into new books--until an unexpected idea upends operations. In this tall tale, all books originate at the Story Factory. Workers gather used books and feed them into a machine that spits out endless permutations of the same old concepts. But one day, the machine stops. Workers inspect each area to make repairs, from the character labeling room to the plot assembly line to the emotion monitor. Finally, they find a jam in the story mixer; as they unclog it, a confetti pile of new ideas spill out. When the workers attempt to override the machine's programming to include these fresh ideas, the factory explodes in a flurry of new books that destroy the building. The workers replace it with a new, traveling Story Factory--one that playfully resembles a library, with its doors open to all people and ideas. The chunky mixed-media art is bold, bright, and fun. Book lovers will especially enjoy exploring the various factory departments and their machinery. Story Factory workers are depicted as pencil-yellow elfin creatures. When humans appear, they are rendered with a variety of skin tones. A colorful, explosively entertaining parable about books and the power of imagination.(Picture book. 4-8)

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January 1, 2025
Grades K-2 In the Story Factory, workers routinely assemble and distribute books, but the stories themselves never change--"nothing new or original was ever added." That is, until the machinery breaks down. Searching for the source of the problem, the workers see that there's much in disarray, from the Character Room, where pictures and labels are awry, to the jumbled "beginnings, middles, and endings" in the Plot Department. Then, the book mixer goes haywire, sending confetti-like fragments flying. But among the mess, workers also find other items like "doodles, photos, notes, and bookmarks" that pique their interest--and their imagination. Trying a remix of everything together brings surprising results and, ultimately, delight all around, including a new purpose for the factory and what it provides to the community. Bright, mixed-media illustrations feature simplified, blocky shapes and cartoon elements in animated collage artworks full of inviting details. While some references may be abstract or need explanation, such as the ""punctuation typewriter,"" the visuals and lively text playfully incorporate library and bookstore imagery in this fresh and entertaining story about the unexpected ways stories can be inspired, created, and discovered.

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