They give him a red scarf to keep warm and look more 'red.' You know, like he's supposed to be. His grandparents thought he wasn't warm enough. (Because Red is really blue.) This prompts Yellow to say, 'Yuck.' reinforcing Red's idea that there's something wrong with him and that he's basically disgusting as a person. However, needless to say, him mixing with Yellow doesn't make an orange, it makes a big greenish ball. Red agrees enthusiastically, wanting to please his mom and hoping beyond hope this will work. She brings Yellow over and coos, 'Why don't you two go out and draw a nice, round orange.' His mother thought he needed to mix with other colors. She's shocked, but encourages him to try again. She encourages him to draw strawberries, but of course they turn out blue. His teacher thought he needed more practice. However, neither him nor any of his friends and family can understand this. I mean, no matter what Red tries to do, he colors blue. A crayon that 'presents' as red but colors blue and leaves everyone confused and baffled. Wait, what? I thought this was about crayons. This book for children about being transgender, is He's blue! This funny, heartwarming, colorful picture book about finding the courage to be true to your inner self can be read on multiple levels, and it offers something for everyone! He just can't be red, no matter how hard he tries! Finally, a brand-new friend offers a brand-new perspective, and Red discovers what readers have known all along. His teacher tries to help him be red (let's draw strawberries!), his mother tries to help him be red by sending him out on a playdate with a yellow classmate (go draw a nice orange!), and the scissors try to help him be red by snipping his label so that he has room to breathe. Red has a bright red label, but he is, in fact, blue. Red will appeal to fans of Lois Ehlert, Eric Carle, and The Day the Crayons Quit, and makes a great gift for readers of any age!

A blue crayon mistakenly labeled as 'red' suffers an identity crisis in the new picture book by the New York Times–bestselling creator of My Heart Is Like a Zoo and It's an Orange Aardvark! Funny, insightful, and colorful, Red: A Crayon's Story, by Michael Hall, is about being true to your inner self and following your own path despite obstacles that may come your way.

A red crayon story