Crockett Johnson (1906–1975)

When Harold decides that he wants to go for a walk in the moonlight, the youngster doesn't allow the lack of either moon or path to stand in his way. Taking his magical purple crayon, he creates them both, drawing the world into existence around him, as he proceeds from adventure to adventure. Falling into the sea, but then drawing himself a sailing boat; plummeting off a one-sided mountain, but creating a hot-air balloon in mid-tumble - Harold has everything he needs in his purple show more crayon...

Originally published in 1955, this classic picture-book for younger children is one of those universally beloved books that I somehow missed, in my own girlhood reading. I'm glad that it was chosen as one of our November titles over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "Classic Picture-Book Characters," as this gave me the impetus I needed to finally pick it up. What an incredibly perceptive portrait of a child's imaginative process it contains! How true it is that we create the world around us (and not just as children) through our imaginative lives. The starkly minimal artwork here perfectly complements the simple but effective text, which builds the story outward at first - outward into the blank unknown, where Harold has the freedom to be and do anything, safe in the knowledge that his purple crayon (his creative power) will keep him safe - before returning it to the safety of home and of bed. Amusing, clever, perceptive - Harold and the Purple Crayon is children's literature at its best, demonstrating yet again that for those with the true vision, great artistic and intellectual merit can be found in the simple and the small. show less

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. 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 show more 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). show less

Harold explores the alphabet in this seventh and final story devoted to his crayon-created adventures, using each letter as a step in his imaginative game. From "A for Attic" to "Z for Zzzl" (or "little snore"), Harold incorporates each letter into his drawings, and into his story, giving the book more of an organic feeling than many other alphabet offerings. Setting out from home, he encounters everything from a giant to a witch, rides airplanes, lightning and kites, and eventually winds up show more (where else?) back home again...

I really enjoyed Harold's ABC, which marks the end of my recent Harold project. I never read Harold and the Purple Crayon or any of its sequels as a girl, so I am very glad to have finally become acquainted with this creative toddler and his crayon-fueled play. As with its predecessors, I appreciated the depiction of Harold's imaginative world, and the strength of his creative process. I was particularly impressed here by the way the letters were incorporated into the story and the artwork. A well done alphabet book, and a fitting conclusion to a brilliant series of tales! show less

Having drawn himself into and out of a number of adventures with his magical purple crayon, toddler Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree in this fourth picture-book chronicling his imaginative play. Heading north into blankness, Harold draw a snowstorm and then a snowman, eventually finding himself at the North Pole, where he encounters (by drawing) Santa himself! Helping Santa out of his snowbound workshop, Harold rushes back home in order to set up his tree, and await Santa's show more coming...

Originally published in 1958, Harold at the North Pole is the fourth of Crockett Johnson's series of picture-books about a young boy and his extraordinary imaginative adventures, all drawn into existence by the boy himself. I enjoyed this holiday tale, and continue to feel that Johnson really captures the power of a child's creative process, both as an artist and storyteller, with his Harold books. So many of my own fondest memories, when it comes to my childhood play, center around the make-believe country I invented, complete with its own language - I created my own writing system for it, but have sadly lost all of my records of it - history and culture. It's good to be reminded that all a child truly needs, in order to inhabit magical worlds, is a strong imagination! show less