Sunday, March 11, 2012

Harold Shares his Purple Crayon

I think one of the most enduring classics of children's literature is Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Written in 1955 it is the story of a little boy named Harold who draws his way through the world. In fact, he draws everything in his world with his crayon: picnics, skyscrapers, even his own house and his bed.


 In the end he "draws" up his covers and goes to sleep. As a little girl it worried me that he came home to a house that he had to draw but now I find it comforting and sweet.

I love that he could completely orchestrate his own adventure!

The Preschool kids and I read the book. They particularly liked that Harold was able to get out of each jam with his own clever drawings.

I then presented them with xeroxes of photos I'd taken of them at the end of the previous class.




I asked them each to draw two pictures: one of themselves having an adventure 
and one of themselves returning home. I think they had a pretty good time! 

4 comments:

  1. I love this idea. I will definitely try it with my kids.

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  2. Great idea of how to use this book. It was always a fave of mine because I have a big brother named Harold.

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  3. This is absolutely adorable! Your ideas astound me! Personally I would have chosen a turquoise colored crayon.

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  4. Thanks! I thought this was a fun idea too! I wish I had taken more pictures but the kids were too quick for me. And personally I would have picked moss green.

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