The Day the Crayons Quit

Drew Daywalt found something genuinely original in the picture-book format: letters from a crayon box, each written in the voice and color of the crayon complaining about how it is used. Red is exhausted from Christmas and Valentine's Day, Beige is invisible, Pink resents being labeled a girls' color. The epistolary structure is clever, Oliver Jeffers' illustrations make each page a distinct character, and the humor works for adults and children equally. The resolution — Duncan creates a drawing that uses every crayon — is satisfying without being preachy. It has earned its place on Time's 100 Best Children's Books list and in tens of thousands of classrooms. One note for faith-conservative families: Pink Crayon's question about gender color labeling is brief and lighthearted rather than ideological, but worth knowing about. Not a concern for most readers, but worth previewing if it matters to your family.