What is the author's tone in The Ersatz Elevator by Lemony Snicket?

The tone is playful and smart. The book focuses on meanings of words, and word plays. For example, a red herring typically refers not to a fish, but a way to mislead people. The statue of a red herring is not actually a red herring, but the location of the Quagmire children. This play on words is customary in this series.