The Crayon Box that Talked

by Shane DeRolf, Michael Letzig (Illustrator)

"While walking through a toy store, the day before today, I overheard a crayon box with many things to say..." Once upon a time, Shane DeRolf wrote a poem. It was a deceptively simple poem, a charming little piece that celebrates the creation of harmony through diversity. The folks at the Ad Council heard it--and liked it so much that they made it the theme for their 1997 National Anti-Discrimination Campaign for Children. Following on the heels of nearly a year's worth of televised public service announcements, Random House is phonored to publish the picture book, illustrated in every color in the crayon box by dazzling newcomer Michael Letzig and conveying the sublimely simple message that when we all work together, the results are much more interesting and colorful.  

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Friendship, Fantasy, Art, School

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Halli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book because it was mentioned in a review of The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt, which I recently read and loved. The reviewer said that Daywalt's book was a rip-off of this similar, older story, so I was curious to see how similar they were.

DeRolf's book is about crayons that do not get along, and are purchased by a little girl who uses them to draw pictures and show how well they all work together. The text is sweet and rhyming, and so is the underlying message. Daywalt's book is about a boy's crayons who either feel overworked or underused, with only yellow and orange not getting along (because they are each the real color of the sun). The end result is the same as in DeRolf's book, with all colors being used equally and in new and exciting ways.

While I enjoyed both books, the illustrations in The Crayon Box that Talked simply aren't as charming as those in The Day the Crayons Quit. However, I feel there is room for both of these books on the shelf. I think they can get along just as well as the crayons!

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a young child I was a crayon fanatic. I loved my box of 64 (the biggest at the time, or the biggest I knew of) and my box of 8 large sized crayons too. So, I’m a fan of drawing with crayons.

I also appreciate books that show the value of teamwork and that show how to appreciate diversity, which this book does.

I really wanted to love it but I just liked it. I might not have been in the optimal mood to read this book.

The colors in the illustrations are crayon hued and I enjoyed that, but I didn’t find the illustrator’s style that pleasing.

The story is fine for a preschooler and I do think that preschoolers will enjoy this book, but there aren’t a lot of words and I think it would not be an exciting book for older children.

For preschoolers who enjoy drawing with crayons or are about to try out drawing with crayons, for preschoolers who are being taught to participate in a group project, or are getting a lesson in appreciating differences, this could be an appealing book.

[Maria Rojas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story that teaches us about diversity. In The Crayon Box that Talked, a girl goes in a toy store and is drawn to a crayon box that doesn't get along. The Crayons don't seem to like each other. The girl decides to buy this crayon box and teaches them how all of them together create a more beautiful and interesting picture,than on their own. This beautiful story also gives a message to adults; children model what we do. The adults in the children's lives should foster respect, tolerance and empathy towards diversity.
This lovely short story is great for a read-aloud in grades PK up to 1st. It has a rhyming pattern so its melodious to listen and the message Shane DeRolf gives us is fantastic and relevant to what our world is living right now!

[Sabrina Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was browsing through my university’s library looking for a story to write a 1st grade lesson plan on… this lil guy jumped out at me and perfectly fit the bill! The story I chose was supposed to have a moral or lesson. In this book, the talking crayons just can’t get along. They don’t like each other, and they realize that something is wrong. A little girl uses all of the crayons to color a beautiful picture, and the crayons realize that they are all equally important and special.
I LOVE the illustrations, and the story even RHYMES!! (Little kids love books that rhyme! I guess that makes me a little kid?) Very glad I found this story that will teach children the value of diversity and coming together in a simple and colorful way. :)

“We are a box of crayons, / Each one of us unique. / But when we get together… / The picture is complete.”

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book I read with the kids at work today. The story was overall decent. The kids liked that the crayons talked and that they were expressing themselves. They also liked that the crayons saw that though they were different they could create something beautiful together. The rhyming was simple and enjoyable.

[Marisa Severin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one of my favorite children's books. It is a wonderfully illustrated and interesting little tale. The plot of the story teaches us to appreciate uniqueness and differences. I love it. The sentences are simple and ideal for young readers.

[Ashley Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this book 5 stars because it sends such a powerful message to students. This book is about a box of crayons that does not get along. A little girl decides to bring the box of crayons home and shows them they are all unique and special. She draws a picture and as she is drawing the crayon’s feelings towards each other starts to change. The colors are touching and creating a beautiful picture together. At the end of the book it says a very powerful quote, “We are a box of crayons, each one of us unique. When we are together the picture is complete.” This story exemplifies low level fantasy because the setting is in a real place but crayons cannot talk or have feelings.

An activity that I would do with this book is talk about that word unique. I would share that being unique means that you have something different and special about you that makes you unlike anyone else. I would have students brainstorm ways that they are unique and things that make them special. Then I would have them do a writing to finish the sentence, “I am unique because…” I also would have students decorate their own picture of a crayon. I would put their crayon and and writing on a display in the classroom. After they finished their writing I would show students the quote from the book. I would talk about how we are all different in our classroom but we create a complete picture together. I would share with the class that we should celebrate our differences because they make our classroom complete!

An extension activity would be to identify the characters, setting, problem, and solution. I would reread the story and have students think about the plot of the story. I would discuss how the crayons changed throughout the book and why they changed.

[Megan Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Crayon Box That Talked is a picture book about a box of crayons that don't get along. A young girl buys the box of crayons and helps them learn to accept each other and get along. This is a great book to help teach children about diversity and respect for one another. I really liked the social emotional aspect of this book. I also really liked how the book rhymed. The rhyming in the book makes it a lot more fun and engaging for the students. This book could be used to talk about rhyming with the students. In addition, since the crayons talk in the story, this is also a good introduction to modern fantasy books for the students. I think The Crayon Box That Talked would be a good book for students in Preschool to 1st Grade.

[Kirsten Stuber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Crayon Box that Talked is a colorful book about a box of crayons that are not getting along. The story starts out in a toy store where a little girl hears the crayons bickering and decides to buy that box of crayons and take it home. When she got home, the little girl lays out all of the crayons so that they can see each other. The crayons were very curious and watch the little girl color with all the colors from the box. The green crayon makes grass, blue becomes the sky, yellow the sun and white becomes clouds. The crayons all watch as the little girl colors and realizes that their colors change when they touch. When the little girl finishes coloring she walks away, and then hears the crayons start talking. The crayons realize that they like each other and realize that each crayon is unique on it's own, but when working together they create a unique picture together.

This is a wonderful story, great for elementary school grades, but older kids would probably enjoy the short, fun story. This books a great for teaching about diversity, teaching students how each child is unique like the colors in the crayon box. Students can realize that they can be amazing when they are all working together and accepting of everyone's differences.

This is a WOW book for me because I think there is a wonderful message in the book and it is such a sweet story. I teach students in grades k-2 and sometimes they don't realize how great they are. They also don't realize how amazing they can be when they work together and create something that each one as a chance to participate or help with. I think this might be a great book to read to adults too!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am such a big fan of picture books. Love them!! I had read a book, "The Day the Crayons Quit." I really liked it! I read a review of someone who favored this book and listed the reasons why. They are very different stories, although both are about a box of crayons. I love the message of this book. It is told in poem form and is so sweet.

I think it was published in 1997. This is the synopsis from the jacket cover." Once upon a time in a toy store, there was a box of crayons. The crayons in it just couldn't get along. Yellow did not like Red, and neither, for that matter, did Green. And no one at all seemed to like Orange. As Blue pointed out, something was very wrong. But something very right begins to happen when a little girl takes these crayons home and starts coloring with them. They realize that the big picture they make together is ever so much more exciting and varied-yes, even dazzling!-than the small pictures they make alone. This is a simple little story with a big important message."

I think it is a timely message that can be used in very positive ways. Very fun and clever illustrations.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Crayons are different colors, and need to work together to create the best picture.

My toddler son loves this book. He will sit and make me read it to him 4 or 5 times in a row. Seriously. A toddler boy will sit for multiple readings of this book. The art is cute, the facial expressions on the crayons particularly so, and the message is clear, important, and still very timely. The rhyming appeals to the ear without being stupidly sing-song. I'd give this book a 5 but I'm just so sick of reading it that I can't bring myself to give that final star. It's a good book- but toddlers love repetition, and I'm clearly not a toddler any more as I can only read it once or twice in a sitting without trying to find another book to read to my son.

[Fjóla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about humanized crayons who don't get along. The rhyme is fluid, if not terribly inspiring: "We are a box of crayons / Each one of us unique. / But when we get together ... / The picture is complete."

It's interesting to compare it with the recent The Day the Crayons Quit, and in particular the controversy that surrounded that book with regard to the use of the color peach and the slighted role of the color brown (see this review). The crayon box that talked has indeed a peach colored protagonist, besides being the smallest box of crayons I have seen containing the color peach.

[April Abtey-Pettigrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful kids book

My grand daughter asked specifically for this book & I had never heard of it. Today we read it together not once but twice, she loves this book! My grand daughter is 6, and she has heard it quite few times before this I found out afterwards but that it didn't change her mind. I loved her look of awe and enthusiasm over the pictures each time we went through. We read together on Skype so we use both Kindle and regular books now for the past year and a half and it has been great seeing her get the "reading bug" but few books other than the Llama Llama series have really caught her attention to reread over and over again in same day or week with such excitement! Thank you!

[Bethany McCandless · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great children's book that teaches not only about different colors (crayons), but also how each color(crayon) is significant. It also teaches about teamwork, and how when you work together you can accomplish a lot.

[Isabelle Wrobel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern Fantasy
Grade Level: K-1
This book displays working together in a very cute way, and also teaches colors! It caught my attention from its creativity right away. It's illustrations were perfect as well!

[The Half-blood Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that talks about how each individual's difference contributes in some way, even if small, to the bigger picture. It's our differences that balance this world, I'd say.

[Dawn Keys · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this picture book was o.k. It is written for an audience of pre-k through 2nd grade. It is about a girl who spots a box of crayons not getting along at a toy store. She buys the crayons and brings them home. She proceeds to color with them and then they all start to get along.

I just thought this was a little didactic for me. I know it needs to be simplistic because of the age range. I just felt like it lacked originality. I also didn't like the illustrations. They just didn't appeal to me. The use of bright colors was good, but the drawings themselves weren't engaging, in my opinion.

I did like the message the author was trying to portray. In this age group, there are many little squabbles amongst children and this can be a good book to use for a lesson about getting along. I appreciate that she is trying to say we are all unique and should learn to get together. I just thought the plot was lacking and a little boring. I am also a fan of the other crayon stories like "The Day the Crayons Quit", so maybe I am comparing it to those.

[JadeShea · Rating 4 out of 5]

The crayon box that talked is about some crayons that talk to each other, but they do not seem to like each other. Then a girl bought the box of crayons, and colored them with every single color. After that, the crayons had a change of heart.
This book is cute and fun. It has simple words for little children, and beautiful colors to make it fun. It gives the students the moral of the story that each crayon is important, and that they should be nice to each other. This book is a very cute story, and it is something that is short and easy to read for kids. It also goes along with a lot of different activities, one that I thought of would be to use a worksheet that has one color on one side, and many colors on the other side. Let the students draw something with only one color on that side. Then have them use different colors, such as a yellow sun, blue sky, for the other side and compare the differences between the one color vs many colors. It really shows them the importance of differences and many colors.

[Sabrina Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was a crayon box that didn’t quite get along and they couldn’t understand why they found each other so unbearable. A little girl that was in the store noticed that they did not get along, so she bought the box of crayons. She took the box home and she started to draw. With each of the colors that she used; blue for the sky, green for the grass, and so on, the colors started to appreciate each other. Though they are all so different which makes them not quite understand each other, when they were able to see what they looked like in a picture when they were put together, they noticed how important each and every one of them were to the drawing. This book does a great job or teaching students how to appreciate their differences and how important how each and every person is in the whole class.

[Sam Markofski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great cute little book with a great moral at the core. I had this read to me when I was younger and I do believe that it still holds up today. It's a colorful book for starters! As it should be being a book about crayons and all. The art is a delight to look at. The tale follows just what the title suggests the crayons at first don't get along but through the book they learn that working together is better for everyone and the greater good as a whole. As no one crayon can make a beautiful picture, it requires that all of them work together to complete the picture. Giving all the crayons value in themselves and in teamwork! It's a cute little book with a good lesson! I love this book and I think you could used it in many different ways in a classroom or what have you. Highly recommend this book.

[Venece Vasquez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Teamwork, Diversity, Acceptance

In the story, a group of crayons initially engages in arguments and harbors dislikes towards one another due to their distinct colors. Eventually, they come to the realization that by collaborating and blending their individual colors, they can produce magnificent pieces of artwork.

The theme of the book is centered around unity. The book employs a box of crayons as a symbolic representation to impart significant life lessons regarding diversity and collaboration. The tale imparts the message that diversity is something to be embraced, and when people unite as a cohesive whole, their distinctions can yield truly remarkable outcomes. Through its vibrant and relatable narrative, the book imparts to young readers the significance of embracing diversity, fostering unity, and recognizing the value of working collaboratively.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think the crayon box, as depicted on the front cover, is holding a great many crayons...

That's nothing, compared to the great big message in this allegorical picture book.

When the different crayons bicker among themselves, there's no solution in sight. Yet a brilliant little girl buys the box, uses each crayon, lets every color have a chance to express itself. She also encourages every single one of the crayons to watch each other and see what they can do.

Poetic language, and comfortable rhymes, bring home the message.

What message, precisely?

In this book, that wise message is saved for the end. No spoiler from me, no no! But maybe some of you Goodreaders can figure out the nature of that message.

FIVE STARS to author Shane DeRolf and artist Michael Letzig.

[Megan Ewald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and how cute it was. Between the girl and the crayons, I fell in love with it. One thing that I like is the rhyming in the book but something else that this book has that is super cool is the creative voiceovers you can use in this book. Between the crayons and the girl talking, each character can be something different. I also love the meaning of working together and no picture is complete without everyone's input and help.

I gave this book a 5/5 because I loved how many different areas this book had to offer and the story is so cute. The illustrations and content included are perfect for all children. It is a great book to read to children to really emphasize either rhyming or working together- they both are awesome lessons to focus on!

[Emily Chaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a crayon box that had some problems getting along. All the colors fought with one another, and when the little girl heard them in the store, she bought them and took them home. She then colored with all of them in hopes of getting them to like each other again.

I loved this book. I think I have read it before, but it has been a long time. I love simple books that rhyme and that teach a lesson.


I would use this book in my classroom as a read aloud or as an example that even though we are all different, we are all good because we bring different things to the table or the picture. This would also be an easy read for a young reader, so that would be a good use of it in the classroom as well.

[Morgan Drummond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is simply about crayons in a box not liking each other. One color crayon hates another color and they do not know why. Eventually when the crayons start working together and learn that they can make new colors when they mix together. They realize they do like each other. At the end they think of a box of crayons as a family and everyone is unique. This book is funny and I enjoyed it as a kid. The book is pretty short but should grab the readers attention. It has funny moments that the kids will enjoy and the pictures really make the story come to life. It would be good for young readers learning there colors and would teach that everyone can get along if they try. It also teaches that everyone is unique. It would be a great read aloud story.

[Kayley King]

This book is a great tool for teaching that even though we may think differently, once we put our differences aside we can work together to make something incredibly beautiful. The crayons did this and helped the girl create a beautiful picture using all the colors in the box. Besides the message in the story, the book kind of looks like it was illustrated using crayons which adds the perfect touch to the book. I think this would be a great book to read all grades in elementary school because the message is timeless.

[Kylie Matusiewicz · Rating 4 out of 5]

on the surface, this is a book about all the different crayons that are in a box and a girl finding them and using each one to draw a picture. As an adult looking in the book is more than that. The book talks about each crayon have a different box and being a different color which translates to each person in a classroom or a community have different jobs, as well as the people, being different races. This is a great way to introduce differences and celebrating them to younger student

[Sharla Bazen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Children's picture book

Unique feature: written from the perspective of a box of crayons that talked... best part is the ending. All of us are different and unique but when we get together, the picture is complete.

Grades suggested 1-3 (3 might be pushing it but it is still a very valuable lesson for a third grader to think about).

[Allie Pitcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because of the pictures. The illustrations were amazing and the book was fun to read. The students in my class enjoy reading this book and looking at the illustrations. I would recommend this book for 2nd grade but could be read to K-1 grade students. This book would be fun for students to learn their colors.

[Melissa - KnotSewScribbly.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super colorful rhyming book that makes you think about relationships, diversity, and getting along together.
The rhymes keep your attention and the illustrations are spot on.
My children wanted me to read this one again - but slower the second time so they could look at the pictures.
And - they wanted to color a masterpiece using ALL the colors afterwards too!