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Harold And The Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books) (Paperback)
by Crockett Johnson
| Category:
Imagination, Drawing, General, Ages 4-8, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 98.00
MSL price:
¥ 88.00
[ Shop incentives ]
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
This book follows the adventure of Harold and his purple crayon, great fun and very stimulating! |
| If you want us to help you with the right titles you're looking for, or to make reading recommendations based on your needs, please contact our consultants. |
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Author: Crockett Johnson
Publisher: HarperTrophy
Pub. in: May, 1981
ISBN: 0064430227
Pages: 64
Measurements: 7.5 x 6.1 x 0.2 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00013
Other information:
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- MSL Picks -
This splendid little book starts with the protagonist, Harold, "...thinking it over for some time" and deciding to go for a walk in the moonlight.
This may seem unremarkable, but it is not.
There is no moon. There is nothing to walk on. There is nowhere to go.
For the only things that are real are Harold and the purple crayon. Otherwise, the universe in which he finds himself is apparently empty; nothing else is present. But what does nothing look like? It looks like nothing - a blank sheet of paper. But that kind of nothing is just exactly what is needed when what one is holding in one's hand is a purple crayon. And so the adventure gets underway.
The first thing Harold does on setting out is draw a horizontal line.
This may seem unimportant, but it is not.
For what he has drawn is the horizon, and this means that now he is standing on the ground. He can walk on it too...
Next he draws the moon (necessary if the walk is indeed to be in the moonlight). Harold draws it above the horizon - this means that it is in the sky. Now there is a reference point for height, and a world of three dimensions has come into being.
Off he goes, drawing a path, a forest (with only one tree so he won't get lost in it) and a dragon to guard the apples that are growing in the tree. Here the creator encounters unintended consequences, as the dragon that he has wrought is so fearsome as to frighten even him. Harold backs away, his hand shaking, inadvertently drawing a wavy line as he goes.
The wavy line traces out waves, and before he knows it, Harold is underwater in an ocean. He rescues himself by drawing a boat and makes his way to an unknown distant shore.
The rest of the story is about Harold's trying to find his way back home. On the way there are more adventures as Harold searches far and wide. He creates an entire city with many windows but none of them is his.
But then, he remembers how he used to see the moon through the window of his room. And all that is needed for homecoming is to draw a box around the moon - now he is inside looking out.
At last Harold draws his bed around him and goes to sleep…
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.
Target readers:
Kids aged below 8
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Crockett Johnson is the much-loved author and illustrator of five books about Harold and The Purple Crayon. He is also the illustrator of The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss.
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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.
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| View all 5 comments |
Robert Edward James, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
Harold and the Purple Crayon was one of my favorite books as a child, and I bought a copy the day I found out my wife was pregnant. I've tried a few times to interest my daughter in the book, but it was a bit too sophisticated for a 3-month old! Now that my daughter is three years old, she just pulled out this book from her shelf and asked me to read it to her. She was ready for it, and the magic worked! The story of Harold and his purple crayon drawing anything he can think of is still every bit as entrancing to her as it was to me thirty years ago. In story structure, it's very much like Maurice Sendak's "Where the Wild Things Are," but without the rebelliousness of Max: like Max, Harold goes on an adventure into his imaginary world, and then must find his way home. In short, an excellent classic, deserving of new generations of readers. |
Sylvia Mohundro , CA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
40 years ago I purchased this book for my 5 year old child, not having much expectation other than it being a fun, cute book for my son to enjoy. Subsequent to reading the book I don't know who delighted more in its story, myself or my child! Thinking maybe the comprehension of my child was vastly different than mine; I asked him what he felt the story was telling us. He responded "It's about making your own world!” My son nailed it. HAPC is a provocative venture into the imagination-and more. It is our capability of managing and creating our own world. HAPC really does make the point that we do "make our own world". I bought this edition for my 5 year old granddaughter, reading and delighting it in again, was as though I was saying hello to a wonderful friend gone from my life for 40 years. |
Sean W, Hawley
<2006-12-21 00:00>
Not only is this a favorite bedtime read for both my 2-year-old and my 5-year-old, but it was also one of my favorite books when I was a child. The way in which the little boy draws up his own world is so compelling that you long to jump in and explore right beside him. Harold's world of vivid purple lines is fantastic, mysterious, and even haunting. When I read the book, it is clear that Harold only reveals to us a brief but tantalizing glimpse into this vast realm of his. As we close the book each night, we continue to wonder: Where does that road eventually lead? Who lives in the city? What lies under the waters of the ocean? And, most importantly: Are the apples still safe? |
A reader, USA
<2006-12-21 00:00>
My father gave me a copy of Harold and the Purple Crayon when I was just about four years old and I absolutely fell head over heels in love with Harold. I remember sitting on the floor for hours just flipping through this book page by page and imagining myself into the story. I truly believe that this book was the door that opened into my love of reading. So of course when I saw this book in my pre-schoolers book order I had to get it for him. And it turns out that he loves Harold almost as much as I did at that age. It’s a wonderful story about how to use your imagination and that you don't need all of these high tech toys in the world today to do it. Harold only needed a crayon. |
View all 5 comments |
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