The Day the Crayons Quit

A boy named Duncan opens his crayon box to find a stack of complaint letters — Blue is exhausted, Black feels misused, and Orange and Yellow are fighting over who's really the color of the sun.

For the kid who's heard every excuse in the book about why the chores aren't done, here's a box of crayons with grievances of its own.

• Big idea: Everyone — even a crayon — wants to be seen, heard, and used for more than one thing.
• Vibes: Witty, deadpan, and full of colorful personality

• enjoy stories told through funny letters
• like to pretend objects can talk and complain
• are working on seeing things from someone else's point of view
• love coloring and naming their favorite crayons

• Story & problem-solving: What do you think Duncan could do to make all his crayons happy again?
• Feelings & empathy: How do you think Blue Crayon felt after coloring so many oceans and rivers and lakes?
• Imagination: If your own crayons could write you a letter, what do you think they'd say?
• Real-life connection: Orange and Yellow argue about who's the true color of the sun — have you ever disagreed with a friend about something silly like that?
• Creative play: Which crayon in your box do you think works the hardest?