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Harold and The Purple Crayon | August 28, 2013

by Crockett Johnson (Harper Collins Children’s Books, 1955)

There is one book that I give every single child I know and most adults, too! It is simple and elegant in illustration and story. It is about one little boy with one very big imagination, and a large crayon to boot. It is Harold and The Purple Crayon! First published in 1955, the book is Crockett Johnson’s most beloved and well known, and yet I meet people every day who have never read this magical tale.

“One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight”. Because there is no moon, Harold uses his trusty purple crayon to draw one and sets off down a road. Harold encounters many things on his walk: a forest consisting of one tree, a monster, an ocean, a picnic full of pies, one very “hungry moose and a deserving porcupine”, to name a few. But “encounter”really isn’t the best word to describe this adventure, because Harold creates these things for himself. Harold uses his purple crayon and his imagination to make his own adventure and, more often than not, to save himself from it. My favorite part is when Harold begins to grow tired and wants to find his home. He draws a mountain and climbs up to look for his bedroom, but neglects to draw the other side of the mountain. As he falls, Harold rescues himself by drawing a hot air balloon–what better way to present the amazing abilities of the imagination! This book ever-so-subtly instills the idea that our imaginations are powerful, wonderful things. You can make your own world and your own adventure with an imagination. You can also lead yourself astray with an imagination, get carried away, get lost. But when that happens, all you need to do is use your imagination to save yourself. In the end, Harold finds his room, crawls into bed, and draws the sheets up. The End.

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