Harold and the Purple Crayon

I made a resolution awhile back to read more of the classics. I just felt it was a crime to be in the middle of Stephenie Meyer's vampire series when I hadn't ever read My Antonia. (So now Eclipse and My Antonia are sitting on my bedside table collecting dust. Awesome. I so need to get back to reading every day.)

Anyway, I think this applies to children's lit as well. There are just SO many great classics out there that we need to be reading with our kids!

One such classic we've been adoring lately is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. Written in 1955, it tells the tale as Harold creates it with his crayon.

"One evening, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. There wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight (draws himself a purple moon). And he needed something to walk on (draws himself a purple sidewalk)." And so begins his adventure, that includes a picnic, a dragon, a boat, a hot air balloon ride, and so much more.

I absolutely adore the simplicity of the illustrations and marvel at how cleverly Johnson used them to narrate the story. I love how we sense Harold's young feelings and imagination. This book beautifully captures the magic of a child's mind.