Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
from HarperTrophy
"One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." So begins this gentle story that shows just how far your imagination can take you. Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement. But this is no hare-brained, impulsive flight of fantasy. Cherubic, round-headed Harold conducts his adventure with the utmost prudence, letting his imagination run free, but keeping his wits about him all the while. He takes the necessary purple-crayon precautions: drawing landmarks to ensure he won't get lost; sketching a boat when he finds himself in deep water; and creating a purple pie picnic when he feels the first pangs of hunger.
Crockett Johnson's understated tribute to the imagination was first published in 1955, and has been inspiring readers of all ages ever since. Harold's quiet but magical journey reminds us of the marvels the mind can create, and also gives us the wondrous sense that anything is possible. (Ages 4 to 8)
One evening Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. But there wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight. Fortunately, he had brought his purple crayon. So he drew a moon. He also needed something to walk on. So he drew a path...
And thus begins one of the most imaginative and enchanting adventures in all of children's books. The creative concept behind this beloved story has intrigued children and kept them absorbed for generations, as page by page unfolds the dramatic and clever adventures of Harold and his purple crayon.
Harold's Fairy Tale (Further Adventures of with the Purple Crayon)
from HarperTrophy
Unable to fall asleep one night, Harold uses his purple crayon to create his very own bedtime fairy tale.
Harold's Trip to the Sky
from HarperTrophy
With his magic purple crayon, Harold draws himself into a rocket voyage to Mars, then safely back to earth just in time for breakfast.
The Carrot Seed 60th Anniversary Edition
by Ruth Krauss
from HarperTrophy
Ruth Krauss, author of A Hole Is to Dig, has crafted a story almost Zen-like in its simplicity. A little boy plants a carrot seed and waits patiently, tending to it carefully, while everyone around him insists that "it won't come up." His conviction is steadfast, however, and sure enough, a carrot worthy of first prize at any state fair springs forth from the earth. Krauss's husband, Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), illustrated The Carrot Seed, and while the little boy is rendered with uncomplicated lines, all of his hope, confidence, and serenity shine through. The image that resonates most strongly in this minimalist tale is the unfaltering faith of the mild-mannered little boy. Young readers learn that standing your ground in the face of opposition and doubt can often result in twice the reward expected (even thrice the reward, if judging by the girth of this carrot). (Ages 4 to 8)
When a little boy plants a carrot seed, everyone tells him it won't grow. But when you are very young, there are some things that you just know, and the little boy knows that one day a carrot will come up. So he waters his seed, and pulls the weeds, and he waits ...
First published in 1945 and never out of print, this timeless combination of Ruth Krauss's simple text and Crockett Johnson's eloquent illustrations creates a triumphant and deeply satisfying story for readers of all ages.
Harold at the North Pole (Harold and the Purple Crayon)
from HarperTrophy
There's nothing Harold can't create with his purple crayon--and that's just why children have loved his magical world for decades. Crockett Johnson wrote several other books about Harold after the original Harold and the Purple Crayon in 1955, each one tracing different themes--from Harold at the circus to Harold on Mars. This time the imaginative young artist takes his purple crayon on a search for a Christmas tree. He finds himself at the North Pole just in time to help Santa who is snowed in with his reindeer, his sleigh, and all the toys. Harold's purple crayon to the rescue! He draws his own solutions, solving both Santa's problem and his own. This would be a dandy Christmas gift wrapped up with a big pad of paper... and a purple crayon, of course. (Ages 3 to 6) --Marcie Bovetz
A Christmas Journey with the Purple Crayon.
A Picture for Harold's Room
from HarperTrophy
Harold needs a picture for his bedroom wall. So he takes his purple crayon and begins to create a whole new world around him. But then he notices he has gotten very small-half the size of a daisy! Only a very clever artist can find his way home now.
Harold's ABC (Purple Crayon Book)
from HarperTrophy
Taking along his purple crayon, Harold journeys from A to Z, each letter generating a picture from which the word becomes part of an uninterrupted story.
Harold's Circus (Purple Crayon Books)
from HarperTrophy
Purple crayon in hand, Harold draws a tightrope and falls into a circus [where he has many adventures]. As in the previous books, the dauntless Harold is resourceful and loveable." SLJ.
Ellen's Lion: Twelve Stories by Crockett Johnson
by Crockett Johnson
from Knopf Books for Young Readers
Crockett Johnson, creator of the 1955 classic Harold and the Purple Crayon, also wrote a lovely, nonsensically philosophical collection of 12 stories about a little girl named Ellen and her conversations with her stuffed lion. Originally published in 1959, EllenÂ’s Lion has an old-fashioned feel, but its explorations of child logic and imagination are universal and fresh, the perspective authentically childlike. In one story, Ellen pretends she is terrified of her pet lion and calls the police. The lion becomes impatient and annoyed. Ellen feels guilty: "I should have asked you if you ate people before I called a policeman," she says. The lion tells her she didnÂ’t use a real telephone. "Â’But I called a real policeman,Â’ said Ellen." In another story, "Sad Interlude," Ellen displays sympathy for her "poor sad old lion." The lion is indignant:
"I’m never sad and never happy, never hungry or never full, never foolish or clever, or good or bad, or this or that, or anything else you imagine me to be—-"Children will have no trouble keeping up as the story slips from the real to the imaginary and back again. Out of print for two decades, this winning chapter book, complete with orange-hued, Harold-style illustrations, is sure to charm readers young and old. (Ages 5 to 8) --Karin Snelson
"You poor thing," Ellen said, slowly, shaking her head. "You havenÂ’t any mother, either, have you?"
"Now you are being ridiculous," the lion said.
Originally published in 1959 and out of print for two decades, this collection of very short stories chronicles Ellen’s relationship– complete with two-way conversations–with her floppy stuffed lion. Ellen’s temperament is a bit like Christopher Robin’s (though her appearance is a clone of Harold, from Harold and the Purple Crayon fame), but her lion is a no-nonsense, tougher-minded Pooh, with the voice of reason and reality to counter Ellen’s high-flying imagination. The stories range from fear of the dark and being sad to playing doctor, being a fairy princess, and dealing with a new toy that almost replaces lion.
Parents will find the subtly droll stories as entertaining as children, and a child who reads chapter books will find especially rewarding.
Harold y el Lapiz Color Morado (Harold and the Purple Crayon)
by Crockett Johnson
from Rayo
Una noche, Harold decide dar un paseo a la luz de la luna. Pero hay un pequeÑo problema: ¡La luna no esta fuera! Por suerte, Harold lleva consigo su lapiz color morado y en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, se " las pinta solo" para enredarse en toda clase de aventuras.
+++
