book data
4,019 ratings,
4.34
average rating, 295 reviews
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published
May 20th 1983
(first published 1955)
by HarperTrophy
binding
Paperback, 64 pages
isbn
0064430227
(isbn13: 9780060229351)
description
The book is centered around Harold, a curious four-year-old who, with his purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own by simply drawing ...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4,470)
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5 stars (2073)
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4 stars (1067)
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3 stars (491)
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2 stars (99)
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1 star (20)
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avg 4.34
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
I've always overlooked this book. It just looked so very 1950s and not in a complimentary way - basically I thought it looked booooring. I finally decided to give it a go after someone mentioned that this was their favorite childhood book. I'm very glad I did and I've proven once again that 'you can't judge a book by its cover' - corny, but true. Izzy and I loved reading about Harold and his magical adventures. Any child that loves to draw and/or has a vivid imagination will appreciate this...more
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Read in January, 1989
Harold is probably the most influential character in all of literature in our family
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Read in April, 2009
I remember reading Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson, as a child, so when I saw the book on the library shelves, I decided to check it out for my older daughter. When I read it to her, the feelings of disquietude that had plagued me as a child when I read the book (and which I had forgotten) were reawakened. Harold and the Purple Crayon is upsetting because it is not a journey into the imagination or even into a real yet magical world (a la Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are...more
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Read in September, 2003
recommends it for:
Anyone with an Imagination
I just love this book (even though my wife insists I never pronounce the word crayon correctly. She says I say "crown"). As an author I try to emulate what Harold does in this book. First, go looking for an adventure. Next, add some obstacles, a little humor, a moose, some pie, and some narrow escapes. Finally, when you're all done, find your way home and get some rest. If I was ever stranded on a desert island, this would be the book I'd want to have with me.
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3 comments
If you read this book to yourself, as an adult, it's easy to brush off. If you read it to a group of 5 or 6 year olds, you can't help but get wrapped up in the wonder of it all. He can draw a tree and then climb it?! The possibilities! I love how strongly the students connect to the idea of just wanting to be home, as well.
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11 comments
I really like this book because its simple and easy to understand. I think this book is great for pre-k and kinder. I really like the pictures used in this book in creating the story.
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1 comment
One of the all-time best books to foster creativity in children. A must for EVERY child's bookshelf.
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Read in January, 1996
If you don't know why this book gets five stars you probably haven't read it.
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Secular humanism is good!! (Albert that's for you)
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Read in January, 1986
recommended to Angela by:
Mommyrecommends it for: Broaden your horizons
Eleven.
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2 comments
Read in April, 2009
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crocket Johnson is eighteen years older than I am but I will always associate it (and the other books that followed) with my early childhood. When I was first setting up this website (way before the word blog had been coined) one of my first posts was a review of the Harold series. I've since taken down that page but you can probably find it cached on the Way Back Machine. Since then I've had two kids of my own and they have discovered the Harold books. So with re...more
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This book is a great book to show children imagination in use. The only "real" things in the book are Harold and his purple crayon. The rest of the story is Harold on a journey making his journey exciting by drawing things from his imagination with his purple crayon. Harold can walk on the things he draws and use them like they are real; overall this is a wonderful book for children. At the end they will wonder if his journey was real or not! This book will spark and help guide a c...more
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Read in October, 1958
This book delights me!!! It reminds me of my sister. She absolutely adored this book when we were little and Harold, with his imagination, reminds me of her... such a funny little character, full of life. I love Harold. I love the crayon. I love that the crayon is purple, my sister's favorite color. I love that all you need is a crayon and imagination to go on wild adventures. As my sister and I have often said to one another, "Are we on another adventure?" Oh, the glory of lif...more
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Read in February, 2009
I can't believe it's taken me this long to read a book that definitely deserves "Classic" status. I love Harold's imagination. I love the simplicity and cleverness of the illustrations and the storyline that matches. The pictures could tell the story without the text. But then the (older) reader would miss some of the subtle humor within. I think my favorite line was "he drew up the covers." It made me smile, which was a perfect way to end reading the book.
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Harold is a great, imaginative classic. My kids and I love settling in to read all about Harold's fantastic adventures courtesy of his purple crayon. Every kid should have a copy of this as an early example that you don't need video games or battery powered toys to have fun. All you need is a crayon. HBO aired a really good series of Harold episodes that were beautifully narrated by Sharon Stone. If you get a chance, watch them with your kids.
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Read in January, 1966
recommends it for:
every parent to read to every child
I loved this book as a young child. I had to be about 4 when I read Harold by myself. And what an adventure, I have never forgotten Harold or his purple crayon. Purple is still my favorite color.
Harold and The Purple Crayon is my most treasured Children's book to this very day.
I read it to my son and he also remembers Harold and his purple crayon most fondly.
What I loved most about this book is Harold's imagination; he went everywhere with that little purple crayon without...more
Harold and The Purple Crayon is my most treasured Children's book to this very day.
I read it to my son and he also remembers Harold and his purple crayon most fondly.
What I loved most about this book is Harold's imagination; he went everywhere with that little purple crayon without...more
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Read in January, 2002
Harold creates his world as he draws it, full of moons and picnics with all nine kinds of pie he likes best. The vocabulary including double-entendres makes Harold a smarter book than most children's stories and credits kids with insight most books don't imagine they have. Harold's sincere and adventurous spirit make this one of my favorite children's books and Harold a character I looked for in other stories.
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Alright so it's a baby,but it the only book I found at my internship. It was nap time for the kids and I can't really take a nap with them (no matter how much I want to) so I was looking around for a good book to keep me up. I found this book lying next to one of the kids, I picked it up and read, and enjoyed, and loved it. Who would have thought were a crayon and a crazy imagination can take you.
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This was always one of my favorite books from childhood and quickly became a favorite among my children, often read every night for weeks on end.
In addition to being delightfully simple, yet creatively complex, the syntax should not be over looked. Sentences like, "He made land without much trouble," and "He crawled into bed and drew up the covers." are literary genius in this context.
In addition to being delightfully simple, yet creatively complex, the syntax should not be over looked. Sentences like, "He made land without much trouble," and "He crawled into bed and drew up the covers." are literary genius in this context.
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