The Day The Crayons Quit

Very good book for kids

I don't want to be a complainer here but I just have to say that the curiosity of a 3 year old has limits and for some reason those limits require reading the same book over and over and over and over again. Which is great if the book you're reading is one of the good ones but horrible if it's lousy.What's that dear, you can't find the Daniel Tiger books? That's because I used them to light the fire used to heat all the food you dropped on the floor during dinner and then fed it to your little sister because, as you know, we don't waste food around here. Ahem, I mean, that's weird sweetie, I'm sure we'll find them.Some books deserve to be read umpteen times, some books are a disgraceful capitalistic ploy with no redeeming qualities. Coming off of an evening of one too many Elmo books (which means 1 Elmo book if you're keeping track), I vowed to find something funny, intelligent and fun to read. A book that my daughter would request without causing a 10 minute back and forth about how "we should really try reading this other, much better book that you are really going to love." A book that would make me say, "of course we can read that book dear, and might I add, excellent choice."Well that's what you get with The Day The Crayons Quit. This is a book by which all other kids books should be judged. This is a book that knows its audience isn't only your little angel but also the people who are reading to your little angel. And that is what makes this book so brilliant. No matter your age, you will identify with the characters, they will probably remind you of your family, your coworkers and your friends.This book is in my top 10 books to read to my daughter. Lucky for me, she feels the same way.In case you're wondering, some of my other favorites are: The Three Little Pigs, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, Small Pig, Where the Wild Things Are, I Want My Hat Back, Pete The Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, We're Going on A Bear Hunt, The Cat in the Hat

The book is "cute" and mildly humorous. However, I was quite unhappy with the messages that it sent to kids. The crayons complain about being used too much, and -- worse from my point of view -- kids are admonished for not coloring within the lines. I prefer books for kids that foster creativity, not begin to stifle it from a very young age.

I laughed a few times. It had cute moments.Cons: became a bit redundant with almost every page being a letter of complaint from a disgruntled crayon.I am always dismayed when it comes to children’s books and their handlings of issues like boundaries and nudity etc.Did the author have to talk about a naked crayon not wearing underwear?With the awareness of what’s happened to so many children throughout the years- with regards to abuse- I just feel like comical or flippant approach to nudity and boundaries is just kind of irresponsible.Fine he’s a nude crayon bc the jacket or label is off. But do we need to address lack of underwear?Just weird and not appropriate for a kids book in my opinion.Coloring outside the lines should not be discouraged as is done in this book. Kids should be left to decide what constitutes good/bad art. There are no rules with that.

We'd purchased this cute little book for our youngest grandson's second birthday about seven months ago and, according to my daughter-in-law, it's a book that's been pulled out almost every day since! It centers around a creative youngster named Duncan, who solves his crayons' complaints by thinking "outside of the BOX" (pun intended!), and our two older grandsons both enjoy reading it to their younger brother. In this book, that box happens to be full of crayons who don't actually quit, but do have a list of grievances they present to their owner, who comes up with a very inventive solution to get the result HE wants (to be able to color with crayons who are in agreeable moods!) by providing them what THEY need (to be used in more ways than their shades would stereotypically be used for.) The letters the crayons have written to their owner are hilarious, and having each separate letter written on the left side of the spread in a child's handwriting, with the right side showing a child-like drawing of objects that shade is typically used to color, is a sure-fire way to immediately draw a youngster in. Nice collaborative effort by author and illustrator!Our older grandsons have a lot of fun voicing the letters written by "Red", who even has to work on holidays (i.e. coloring Santas, Valentines), "Purple" is going to "completely lose it" if Duncan doesn't start coloring inside of the lines soon, "Beige" (who is "BEIGE and PROUD!") is jealous of "Brown", "Gray" is tired of getting all of the BIG jobs (like coloring elephants, rhinos, hippos and HUMPBACK WHALES), "White" is feeling underutilized, "Black" doesn't find it fair that he's only used as an outline to brightly colored objects, "Green" is a peacemaker type (or a tattle tale, depending upon your outlook!), who claims to be very happy with his work, congratulates Duncan on his coloring career, but wants to inform him of the bickering between "Yellow" and "Orange" over who gets to be the color of the sun, with "Yellow" and "Orange" writing separate letters each stating their case along with documented proof, "Blue" is overworked and now just a stub who can't even see over the box railing any longer, "Pink" believes she's experiencing discrimination because she's "a girls' color", while "Peach" is completely unwrapped ("I don't even have any underwear!") and embarrassed to leave the box. Wow - what a conundrum! But the amazingly colorful picture Duncan creates - allowing each crayon to stretch beyond their typical usages - ends up earning him an A for coloring and an A+ for creativity!Speaking both as a mom and now a grandma, I've come to believe that one of the most important things an adult can do for their children/grandchildren is to strongly encourage them to be creative and use their imaginations. Whether he/she eventually becomes an astrophysicist, a police officer, a stay-at-home mom or dad, etc., EVERY occupation requires the use of those mental tools when called upon to problem-solve and come up with solutions. How many bosses out there couldn't learn a thing or two from Duncan? Excellent little book that youngsters are going to really enjoy... and that adults can take a lesson from as well.

I purchased this book for American Education Week. My daughter dressed as the pink crayon for storybook character day. She had lots of fun!