Multimodality, Narrative Voice, and Epistolary Form in the Crayons Sequel Picturebooks

This study examines how narrative voice and identity are constructed through multimodal resources in The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. Adopting a qualitative multimodal discourse analytic approach, the study analyzes letters and postcards across the sequel pair, focusing on four purposively selected crayons: Pink, Red and Neon Red, Orange, and Maroon. The analysis explores how linguistic choices, visual representation, spatial design, and epistolary forms interact to realize communicative stance and identity. Findings reveal that voice is a dynamic semiotic achievement shaped by genre shifts from letters to postcards, enabling movement from protest to reconciliation and recognition. The study highlights how sequel picturebooks support discourse-level comprehension, inferential reading, and pragmatic awareness. These findings suggest that multimodal, genre-sensitive analysis of picturebooks offers valuable insights for English education, particularly in EFL contexts.