A Walk in the Moonlight with Harold #tbt
Perhaps this #tbt doesn’t need a plot summary. A sixty year-old classic, Harold and his purple crayon are famous over several generations! Here’s why!
Each Thursday I’ll be featuring a book that my parents *could* have read to me as a toddler (spoiler alert: I’m no spring chicken), so we will go with a publication date of 1983 or earlier; all books must still be in print as of my writing.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Title/author: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
Copyright date: 1955
Plot in a Sentence (or two): Harold sets out on a walk with just his purple crayon and his imagination; the story follows his creative adventure in the moonlight.
Why It’s Timeless: Johnson’s tale proves the power of imagination and creativity, and goes to show that you don’t need fancy computerized graphics, or anything more than a simple, single purple crayon to captivate children with a story. Perhaps we’d all like to see ourselves as Harold: able to creatively work ourselves into all sorts of adventures and out of any pickle, our “wits and our purple crayon” our only tools.
While You’re Reading: Just enjoy. This story is spellbinding and holds its own. Notice the moon throughout the story; it is a symbol of security & constancy. Without words or explanation, point to the moon now and then as you’re reading and allow your bookworm to notice its presence throughout.
Just for Fun: Try drawing an adventure with your child: start the picture with a line and see where it takes you! Or, reverse the colors from the book and try drawing a story using white crayon on a purple paper. Alternately, if you have older readers, use the sequence of events concept to weave your own adventure tales. This story reminds me of “telephone stories” I would play with my students for creative writing- one person starts with a word or phrase and the next person picks up the story from there. Have fun with where your imagination can take you!
Keep Reading!
Harold should be readily available at your local library, or at the Amazon affiliate link provided.
