The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt (illustrated by Oliver Jeffers)

The Day the Crayons Quit

Author: Drew Daywalt

Illustrator: Oliver Jeffers

Publisher: Philomel (Penguin)

Publication Date: June 27, 2013

Source: I received a review copy directly from the publisher (thank-you!), but this did not influence the content of my review in any way. All opinions expressed are strictly my own (with a little help from my daughter of course).

My three-year-old daughter Magda loved this book so much that she can't wait to start school just so she can bring it with her to show her teacher. It's about a boy named Duncan who has an unexpected discovery one day at school. His crayons have all written him letters of complaint! Grey crayon is tired of colouring in all those large animals--elephants hippos, whales; Black crayon is tired of only being used to outline other colours; Blue crayon is just plain tired; Green crayon is happy enough but he'd like to intervene on behalf of his friends, Orange and Yellow, who are currently not speaking to each other as each claims to be the true colour of the sun; and Pink and Beige feel frankly ignored. How will Duncan appease them all?

Magda loved this book because she found it funny to think of her crayons as having opinions and complaints. Of course, I've heard her arguing with her Lambie on more than one occasion, so maybe she didn't find it so hard to believe after all. 

I liked it because it's funny and clever, it encourages children to be creative with how they use their crayons (why not draw an orange whale or a yellow sky?) AND it's illustrated by the marvellous Oliver Jeffers (author/illustrator of The Incredible Book Eating Boy). 

You can see more of Oliver Jeffers in his video, "Oliver Jeffers, Picture Book Maker" below.