A Walk in the Moonlight

Harold and the Purple Crayon

by Crockett Johnson

Summary

“One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight ... And he set off on his walk, taking his big purple crayon with him.”

So begins Crockett Johnson’s 1955 classic Harold and the Purple Crayon. Guided by nothing more than the moon and his imagination, Harold sets off on a wonderful journey that he creates with his purple crayon. He sails the ocean, flies in a balloon, climbs a hill, and enjoys a picnic of pie. Using simple purple illustrations, Johnson’s story follows Harold on a moonlit walk that is both simple and wildly imaginative.

Worth Staying Up Past Bedtime?

Harold’s big smile, round, inquisitive eyes, and simple purple crayon drawings are undoubtedly worth staying up for. I was completely enamored with his journey and appreciated the simple illustrations that accompanied it. That simplicity made me all the more enthusiastic about the book because it really felt like I was seeing Harold’s journey, rather than a fancy representation of it.

Reviews

"...For generations, children have cherished this ingenious and original little picture story." -- Horn Book

Do we look at art to learn things, or to feel things? I'd vote for feeling, and that's why the art book I most recommend is Harold and the Purple Crayon.... -- The New York Times Book Review, Deborah Solomon

At the library

Give children paper and a purple crayon and have them draw what they would encounter during a walk in the moonlight.

Have children each draw one thing they would find on a walk and then put all the drawings together to create a story for the group.

SLIS 5420 / Module 2

Sept. 6-12