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Purple, Green and Yellow
Brigid really loves markers. But when she draws on herself with super-permanent ink, she knows that spells trouble.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
32 people are currently reading
2112 people want to read
About the author
Robert Munsch
290 books1,666 followersRobert Munsch was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Fordham University in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and from Boston University in 1971 with a Master of Arts degree in anthropology.
He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.
Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)
Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.
He studied to become a Jesuit priest, but decided he would rather work with children after jobs at orphanages and daycare centers. In 1973, he received a Master of Education in Child Studies from Tufts University. In 1975 he moved to Canada to work at the preschool at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He also taught in the Department of Family Studies at the University of Guelph as a lecturer and as an assistant professor. In Guelph he was encouraged to publish the many stories he made up for the children he worked with.
Munsch's wife delivered two stillborn babies in 1979 and 1980. Out of the tragedy, he produced one of his best-known books, Love You Forever. This book was listed fourth on the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Best selling Children's Books list for paperbacks at 6,970,000 copies (not including the 1,049,000 hardcover copies). The Munsches have since become adoptive parents of Julie, Andrew and Tyya (see them all in Something Good!)
Munsch has obsessive-compulsive disorder and has also suffered from manic depression. In August 2008, Munsch suffered a stroke that affected his ability to speak in normal sentences. He has recovered enough that he is able to perform live, but has put his writing career on hold until he is fully recovered.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 170 reviews
January 11, 2021
My granddaughter loved this! Had fun reading together.
April 11, 2021
As a fellow aspiring artist, I really connected with Brigid as a kid and really loved this book. However, I'm not the biggest fan of the art style, so I'm only giving it 4 stars.
June 17, 2025
A story that veers out of the consequences of not listening to Mom into confusing fantasy. The art doesn't even really make sense.
January 16, 2020
4/5 ⭐️
Read this to clients at work
Read this to clients at work
February 20, 2019
This series of Munsch books just feels forced.
December 12, 2015
this is one of the most unique Munsch stories there is! I found that these illustrations were very different from
the Munsch norm! and that would be because - fun fact: these pictures were done by a different artist: Hélène Desputeaux! I loved them!!
I love the artsy side to this story (although I may be a bit biased.. I love everything art!) the idea behind Brigid using the super duper never come off til your dead and maybe ever longer markers to colour herself..then trying to wash them off.. they don't come
off so this brilliant little girl uses the skin coloured marker to cover it!
then when mom finds out and the doc gives her a big orange pill, she bathes and becomes invisible! so she then had to use the markers to be seen again! such a creative idea! wow! blown away by how amazing this one is!
the ending is hilarious ! one of my favourites! definitely top 3!
the Munsch norm! and that would be because - fun fact: these pictures were done by a different artist: Hélène Desputeaux! I loved them!!
I love the artsy side to this story (although I may be a bit biased.. I love everything art!) the idea behind Brigid using the super duper never come off til your dead and maybe ever longer markers to colour herself..then trying to wash them off.. they don't come
off so this brilliant little girl uses the skin coloured marker to cover it!
then when mom finds out and the doc gives her a big orange pill, she bathes and becomes invisible! so she then had to use the markers to be seen again! such a creative idea! wow! blown away by how amazing this one is!
the ending is hilarious ! one of my favourites! definitely top 3!
April 11, 2012
Maybe I like this so much because well, it's me as a child, but also because my son loved it so much and we read it together about a million times plus one. I try not to let Mr. Munsch drug addictions affect my pleasure in his books although it does kind of explain a lot.
May 15, 2021
Brigid wants to have colored markers like her friends have, but Mom is uncertain . . . she doesn’t want marker drawings on the walls or the floor or on Brigid. Finally, with a promise that the marker color will wash off everything, Mom says okay and buys five hundred [!!!] markers for her daughter.
For a week, Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content; then she asks for markers that smell. Mom sees her drawings and says, “Wow! My kid is an artist,” and buys her daughter five hundred scented markers. And, for another week, Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content.
Reminding her mother that she didn’t draw on the walls, or the floor, or herself, Brigid then asks for the best kind of markers: super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you’re-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers. So Mom buys five hundred super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers and for three weeks Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content.
Then she gets bored.
And Brigid colors her fingernails . . . her hands . . . her face . . . her belly-button . . . and almost all of herself until she looks like mixed-up rainbows. And, of course, the color refuses to wash off. So Brigid finds a marker that is just the right color, the color of herself, and colors herself all over until she is her regular color again.
But Mother discovers what Brigid has done; she calls the doctor, and Brigid gets an orange pill. What will the orange pill do? And what is the big surprise about Dad?
This cute picture book is sure to have young readers giggling . . . especially at the surprise ending. Filled with exaggerations, predictability, over-the-top silliness, and brilliant illustrations, the target audience for this giggle-fest is the young reader, ages four through seven. The repetition is perfect for young readers as is the predictability of the story; the laugh-out-loud silliness is simply delightful.
For those who insist that every book written for children must teach a lesson of some sort, perhaps the one to learn here is that actions have consequences, or that you should always be true to your word.
But shouldn’t it be okay to have a book to read just because it’s ridiculously silly, because it makes the Little Ones laugh . . . and maybe it teaches the most important lesson of all, the one that says that reading truly is fun?
Recommended.
For a week, Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content; then she asks for markers that smell. Mom sees her drawings and says, “Wow! My kid is an artist,” and buys her daughter five hundred scented markers. And, for another week, Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content.
Reminding her mother that she didn’t draw on the walls, or the floor, or herself, Brigid then asks for the best kind of markers: super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you’re-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers. So Mom buys five hundred super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-even-later coloring markers and for three weeks Brigid makes wonderful pictures and is content.
Then she gets bored.
And Brigid colors her fingernails . . . her hands . . . her face . . . her belly-button . . . and almost all of herself until she looks like mixed-up rainbows. And, of course, the color refuses to wash off. So Brigid finds a marker that is just the right color, the color of herself, and colors herself all over until she is her regular color again.
But Mother discovers what Brigid has done; she calls the doctor, and Brigid gets an orange pill. What will the orange pill do? And what is the big surprise about Dad?
This cute picture book is sure to have young readers giggling . . . especially at the surprise ending. Filled with exaggerations, predictability, over-the-top silliness, and brilliant illustrations, the target audience for this giggle-fest is the young reader, ages four through seven. The repetition is perfect for young readers as is the predictability of the story; the laugh-out-loud silliness is simply delightful.
For those who insist that every book written for children must teach a lesson of some sort, perhaps the one to learn here is that actions have consequences, or that you should always be true to your word.
But shouldn’t it be okay to have a book to read just because it’s ridiculously silly, because it makes the Little Ones laugh . . . and maybe it teaches the most important lesson of all, the one that says that reading truly is fun?
Recommended.
December 23, 2018
I remember reading this in school, and I loved it. It was around the time the teachers didn't write on chalkboards, I was relatively young, and the markers my teacher did use were the good smelly markers. I remember it being pink and smelling like flowers.
I never liked smelly markers, but I loved colouring when I was a kid so that I can relate.
NOW HOWEVER
as a parent, I relate to the parent for not wanting the child to draw on anything or anyone.
It happens though. My walls have marker stains on them, my kids have drawn on themselves, it's just the way the cookie crumbles.
I LOVE IT.
I never liked smelly markers, but I loved colouring when I was a kid so that I can relate.
NOW HOWEVER
as a parent, I relate to the parent for not wanting the child to draw on anything or anyone.
It happens though. My walls have marker stains on them, my kids have drawn on themselves, it's just the way the cookie crumbles.
I LOVE IT.
January 24, 2018
I really loved the illustrations in this book; they were so colourful and inviting, it definitely drew me in as I was reading! However, I found the storyline of the book itself to be a bit confusing as the little girl kept commenting on how the markers were not making her happy, and how she had wanted stronger ones. Her mother kept telling her no, then, she finally gave in and gave her the markers that she had wanted. It was a bit difficult to follow the storyline directly however, I did enjoy the colourful pictures, it made reading it exciting!
December 14, 2018
Another goofy story from Robert Munsch that kids are sure to love.
Bridget gets her mom to buy her markers by promising not to color the walls, floors, and herself. Each time she proves herself her mother trusts her more and eventually buys her super-indelibel-never-come-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-later coloring markers. But when Bridget gets bored and decides to color on herself after all, trouble follows and a surprise ending!
I love the way the story builds so naturally- this could be an oral story told around the campfire the way the tension builds
Bridget gets her mom to buy her markers by promising not to color the walls, floors, and herself. Each time she proves herself her mother trusts her more and eventually buys her super-indelibel-never-come-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-later coloring markers. But when Bridget gets bored and decides to color on herself after all, trouble follows and a surprise ending!
I love the way the story builds so naturally- this could be an oral story told around the campfire the way the tension builds
September 27, 2020
Bridget wanted to have the newest coloring markers. She had many different types of markers like washable ones and scented ones. Bridget then got these super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-you're-dead markers. She then began to draw on herself with a marker that was the same color as her skin. That color came off when she washed her hands and face, her rainbow-colored skin under. Her mother took her to the hospital and the doctor gave her a pill to remove the colors. Purple, Green, and Yellow was a fun silly book to read. This book is cute to discover drawing and colors.
March 26, 2023
If I hadn't read this after so many others in The Munschworks Grand Treasury would I have liked it more? Maybe a bit. At least in this one the naughty kid doesn't triumph, so that's different. But is it a good or bad thing? Don't we read Munsch for that reason, a la' Mortimer?
January 23, 2019
Summary: This book is about a little girl who asks her mom for colored markers. Her mom gives in so long as the girl does not draw on the floor, herself, or the walls. After buying her a total of 1,500 regular, scented & permanent markers, the girl gets tired of drawing on paper, and draws on herself.
Connections: Love of coloring & always wanting more
How you would use it: Dr. Allen read this to the class during primary literacy
Connections: Love of coloring & always wanting more
How you would use it: Dr. Allen read this to the class during primary literacy
March 14, 2020
The book starts with a child who wants special markers but her mother does not want her to be able to draw on the walls and the floors. After showing her mom she will be able to have the markers without making a mess, her mom lets her have some. She then gets bored of writing on normal paper and decided to color her whole body.
September 2, 2020
My favorite book as a child and is still one of my favorite books as an adult. My parents recently found a secondhand copy in a bookstore and gave it to me for Christmas and IT IS STILL AWESOME and I'm 32. As an artistic child and adult, I saw myself so much in the main character and my mother definitely related to the mother.
March 25, 2021
I really enjoyed reading Purple, green and yellow. The illustrations are colorful and call for your attention until you have seen the entire image. The also go along with the text great, the illustrations add to the story as a visual representation of the text/plot. The storyline is also good and the overall tone is humorous, I can image how much a young reader will enjoy this story.
January 12, 2024
I loved this book so much since I also enjoyed art at an early age. I had markers and crayons, but drawing on myself never occurred to me like it did for the main character of this book. She colours all over herself with permanent markers and then colours over it with the original colours, and it washed off, revealing the permanent marks. What is she going to do? Read to find out!
March 27, 2024
This is my favorite Munsch book ever! Everybody loves colored markers! The only markers around when I was a kid were permanent, so it was rare there were any left where we kids could get to them. I think I was 7 or 8 when Flair felt tip markers came out and I loved them! This book truly took me back to Flair days, but there was no coloring on anything other than paper at our house!
May 16, 2017
I read this book when my sister was born (and soon passed on) and we spent endless days at the hospital. For some reason I've always remembered it, and apparently it had some sort of impact on me. Going to put it on hold and read it again.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 170 reviews