Harold and the Purple Crayon: Animals, Animals, Animals!

by Liza Baker

Harold loves animals so much that he decides to find out what it's like to be one. Join Harold and an elephant, a camel, a herd of cheetahs, and a slippery bunch of penguins on this wildlife adventure in his imagination.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2002

About the author

Liza Baker is a children's book editor and the author of several books for young readers, including two previous titles illustrated by David McPhail, I Love You Because You're You, and Mama's Right Here. Liza lives in Westchester, New York, with her husband, Aaron, a Lieutenant in the New York City Fire Department, and her three very busy young sons, Gardner, Byron, and Caleb. [From Scholastic.com.]

Reviews

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harold is a small boy who uses a magic purple crayon to draw his imaginative world into existence. In this adventure, he explores the habitats of a few different animals. He meets an elephant, camel, cheetahs, and penguins before returning home. This was a fun read for my preschoolers, especially my son who loves drawing. I appreciate when books encourage imagination. I also like that the illustrations are true to the story, using thick purple outlines for everything Harold’s crayon brings to life. I do wish there was a little more to the story though. It is based on a TV episode and I feel like that is apparent, it’s just a little too watered down and simplistic for me to rate it higher.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harold and his crayon try out another side of life, this time as various animals.

[Hope L. Justice · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and found it very enjoyable. My main issue is with it as an "easy reader". This is not a reading level between 4-7 years old. This would be 2-3rd grade with some relatively scarce vocabulary. The illustrations are classic and Harold is such an adorable little boy.