Harold+and+the+Purple+Crayon


 * __Harold and the Purple Crayon__**[[image:elementaryliterature/0-06-443022-7.jpg align="right"]]
 * __By:__** Crockett Johnson

Reading Level: Kindergarten Author: Crockett Johnson Publisher: Harper Collins Publisher Original Publication Date: 1955 Language: English ISBN: 978-0-06-443022-7 Paperback: $6.99
 * __Biographic Data:__**

David Johnson Leisk was born on October 20, 1906 in New York City, he is more known as Crockett Johnson. Leisk felt that his last name was too difficult to pronounce, so he took his childhood nickname, Crockett and became Crockett Johnson. Johnson first began his career as a political cartoonist from 1934 – 1940, and then slowly moved on to make comic strips. Johnson wrote and illustrated his first book in 1952, titled __Who’s Upside Down?__ Johnson then wrote and illustrated twenty books and illustrated seven others that he did not write. Johnson is best known for his __Harold and the Purple Crayon__ series. Johnson died on July 11, 1975 from lung cancer, however his wife Ruth Krauss continued his legacy by writing children books and poem-plays for adults for about two decades after Johnson died; she died on July 10, 993.
 * __Author Biography:__**

One night Harold decided to go for moonlit walk. He starts his adventure by grabbing his purple crayon and drawing a moon and a path to walk along. As he is walking along he begins to draw different objects, such as a forest and a picnic. Harold finds himself in a fun adventure that soon leads him to become very tired and toward the end of the book Harold is focused on finding his bedroom, so with his purple crayon in hand, he begins his search. Harold does find his bedroom window and eventually gets into bed and falls asleep as his purple crayon falls to the floor.
 * __Summary of the Book:__**

__Harold and the Purple Crayon__ is a great book for teachers and parents to read to their students or children. This book can spark the imagination of any young readers. Harold is able to take the reader(s) on an adventure by just using a simple purple crayon. This can show readers that one’s mind can take them anywhere they would like. The illustrations of this book are also a great way to foster a reader’s imagination. The illustrations correspond with the words of the story so well that if a young child who cannot read was to pick up this book they would be able to know exactly what was happening. Harold takes all who reads this book on his moonlit walk led only by a purple crayon and one’s imagination.
 * __Review:__**

Crockett Johnson not only is the author of this book, but he is also the illustrator. The illustrations of this book are very well drawn, which allows the readers to follow the story if they cannot read. The purple lines look as if a crayon really did draw them. When someone draws with a crayon the lines are never perfect and a little rough. Meaning that the purple lines appear to be jagged with white marks along the edges, and this is how a crayon would be like if someone drew a line with a crayon in real life. While a person is reading this book, they need to be able to look at these pictures and believe that Harold really did draw them. Not only do the lines of the crayons look as if they could be real, but the pictures look as if a child would think them up and draw them. Some of the illustrations are not properly portioned. For example, when Harold draws a moose to eat the left over pies, the moose was very skinny. This is disproportional because in reality, moose are not skinny, but to a child they may be. This shows what a child’s perspective could potentially be like and how it is different than adults. One final reason why the illustrations are really good in this book is that they look exactly like what the words describe. When the book says the Harold drew a monster, it was very clear that what Harold was drawing was a monster. This book promotes imagination through the pictures as well as through the words, and every child should either be read this book or giving the opportunity to look at the pictures.
 * __Literacy Element Analysis:__**

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