The crayons have gone on strike, and they’ve left Duncan a pile of letters listing their grievances.
This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime and may even inspire some equally creative art projects.- Mahnaz Dar, Library JournalĪll Duncan wants to do is color, but when he opens his box of crayons, he finds himself in the midst of a bitter labor dispute. Later on, Pink grumbles about constantly being passed over for less-feminine colors while the opposite page depicts a discomfited-looking pink monster and cowboy being derided by a similarly hued dinosaur. Though Jeffers's messily scrawled crayon illustrations are appropriately childlike, they're also infused with a sophisticated wit that perfectly accompanies the laugh-out-loud text for example, a letter from Beige, in which he bemoans being tasked with drawing dull items like turkey dinners, is paired with an image of the crestfallen crayon drooping over beside a blade of wheat. Daywalt has an instinctive understanding of the kind of humor that will resonate with young children, such as Orange and Yellow duking it out over which of them represents the true color of the sun or Peach's lament that ever since its wrapper has fallen off, it feels naked. Energetic and off-the-wall, the complaints are always wildly funny, from the neurotically neat Purple ("If you DON'T START COLORING INSIDE the lines soon… I'm going to COMPLETELY LOSE IT") to the underappreciated White ("If I didn't have a black outline, you wouldn't even know I was THERE!").
Fed up with their workload and eager to voice their grievances, they pen letters to Duncan detailing their frustrations. "Utterly original.K-Gr 2-In this delightfully imaginative take on a beloved childhood activity, a young boy's crayons have had enough. * "These memorable personalities will leave readers glancing apprehensively at their own crayon boxes." Publishers Weekly, starred review * "This colorful title should make for an uproarious storytime." School Library Journal, starred review "This book will have children asking to have it read again and again." Library Media Connection "Fresh and funny." The Wall Street Journal elevates crayon drawing to remarkable heights." Booklist Move over, Click, Clack, Moo weve got a new contender for the most successful picture-book strike." BCCB, starred review Goodreads 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year With giggle-inducing text from Drew Daywalt and bold and bright illustrations from Oliver Jeffers, The Day the Crayons Quit is the perfect gift for new parents, baby showers, back-to-school, or any time of year! Perfect for fans of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Sciezka and Lane Smith.Īmazons 2013 Best Picture Book of the Year
What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best? And Orange and Yellow are no longer speakingeach believes he is the true color of the sun. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Blue crayon needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. Black crayon wants to be used for more than just outlining. The hilarious, colorful #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon that every kid wants! Gift a copy to someone you love today.