Picture Book Review- The Day the Crayons Quit

by Drew Daywalt
Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Published June 27, 2013 by Philomel
Format: Picture Book, Hardcover
40 Pages
Genre: Fiction
Ages 3-7 from the publisher
I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!


Summary from Goodreads
Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit! Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

My Thoughts
This book is definitely one of my very favorite picture books of 2013. I love the concept of the crayons writing letters of complaint about their specific gripes. It is so adorable and the writing really shows the "voice" of each color.  Who knew that red would be upset because he is so overused and pink would be feel left out because Duncan rarely used her?  The illustration by Oliver Jeffers (done in Crayon of course) are perfect!  

Who Would Enjoy It
Although the publisher lists the book for ages 3-7, I think it will appeal to a wider audience. My 11 year-old daughter read it and thought it was "awesome". Younger children will love it because the crayons write the letters and they are really cute.  Older children will appreciate the sarcasm and humor. I would definitely read this to my 4th grade class. 

Use This Book...
as a mentor text to model use of voice in writing, letter writing, to teach character traits and argument writing.

See what others think about The Day the Crayons Quit
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Kids' Book Review

Oliver Jeffers' Website