The best baby ’s books convey bigger melodic theme about the world in the pretense of something frivolous . Few have done it well thanHarold and the Purple Crayon , generator Crockett Johnson ’s 1955 illustrated al-Qur’an that tie concept of ism with fantasy . The Harold of the title is a child who goes for a moonlit stroll without a moon — he cancreatehis own realism with a jumbo purple crayon . When trouble arises , like a dragon , Harold candrawhis path out of it . At the end , he ’s safely in his own bottom . new kids savour the antic constituent ; as they get old , the book ’s musings on the nature of reality become more marked . A movie based on the book hit theatersAugust 2 ; to find out and the Purple Crayon(including its joining to Sharon Stone ) , keep reading .
The manbornDavid Johnson Leisk on October 20 , 1906 , who afterward became renowned under his penitentiary name of Crockett Johnson — Crockett being his childhood nickname — first garner attention for a mirthful strip . After studying art at Cooper Union and New York University , Johnson film on a series of rum jobs ( including working at an icing plant and even playing pro football game ) before debuting in newspapers in 1942 withBarnaby . The strip feature a tyke list Barnaby Baxter who went on dangerous undertaking with his “ Fairy Godfather , ” Mr. O’Malley , who went unseen by other character reference . Johnson stopped writing the strip in 1946 but remained on as a story consultant before return to write and draw the final funnies in 1952 . That was the same class Johnson published his first kid ’s book , Who ’s Upside Down ?
Harold and the Purple Crayongot a cool reception from Crockett’s editor.
When Johnson state the manuscript toHarold and the Purple Crayonto Harper & Row fry ’s book editor Ursula Nordstrom , herreactionwas tepid . When she wrote back to Johnson in 1954 , she attempted to couch the criticism in kindness and say :
“ Dear Dave : The dummy [ written matter ] of Harold and the Purple Crayon came this morning , and I ’ve just read it . I do n’t know what to say about it . It does n’t seem to be a dear nipper ’s book to me but I ’m often faulty — and this post - Children ’s Book Week Monday retrieve me deadened in the head . I ’d probably pass up Tom Sawyer today . Let me keep the blank a few day , will you ? ”
Nordstrom by and by changed her mind and came to match with audiences . Harold and the Purple Crayonwas a achiever upon its discharge in 1955 and has n’t been out of print since .
Maurice Sendak was more than just a fan ofHarold and the Purple Crayon.
FamedWhere the Wild Things AreauthorMaurice Sendakhad long championedHarold and the Purple Crayon , but it was n’t strictly because he loved the book . Sendak actually apprenticed as an artist under Johnson , even spending weekends with Johnson and married woman Ruth Krauss at their home on Long Island Sound in the 1950s . Sendak collaborated with Krauss for several of her books before striking out on his own .
Harold became the star of his own series.
The success ofHarold and the Purple Crayonled Johnson to make Harold a recurring type . He ultimatelyappearedin seven of Johnson ’s statute title , includingHarold ’s Fairy Tale(1956),Harold ’s misstep to the Sky(1957),Harold at the North Pole(1958),Harold ’s Circus(1959),A picture show for Harold ’s Room(1960 ) , andHarold ’s ABC(1963 ) .
One edition ofHarold and the Purple Crayoncame with a purple crayon.
In the 1960s , Scholasticissueda variation ofHarold and the Purple Crayonthat was a combination record book - and - record set . ( The record was an audio edition of the book with music . ) Inside the package was a nice bonus for reader : a imperial wax crayon .
The FBI liked to keep tabs on Johnson.
Johnson , who died in 1975 , did n’t head the low - key life common to a lot of artist . Both he and Krauss were thesubjectsof FBI monitoring in the 1950s thanks to their personal political science . Johnson had been art editor of the Communist publicationThe New Masses , and though he never publically aligned himself with Communism , the FBI maintained afileon him and weigh him a subversive character . Despite their suspicions , he was never formally confronted with their allegations .
Harold and The Purple Crayonhas been adapted in different mediums, including one involving Sharon Stone.
Three of the Harold books were adapted as short reanimate films , includingHarold and the Purple Crayon(1959),A Picture for Harold ’s Room(1971 ) , andHarold ’s Fairy Tale(1974 ) . The films were subsequently compile into a VHS sacking in 1993 . HBO alsoproduceda 13 - episode animated serial in 2001 that was narrated by actress Sharon Stone ( Basic Instinct ) . BothSpike JonzeandSteven Spielbergwanted to adapt the book into a photographic film ; ultimately , Carlos Saldanha ( Ice Age ) end up helm the live - action film that hits theaters in August 2024 .
“ When the chance follow up to bring it to the freehanded screen , the story sense like a reflection of my own journey , as both Harold and I are making the saltation from animation to hold up - activity , ” the directortoldPublishers Weekly . Actor Zachary Levi playing the titulary eccentric , and Zooey Deschanel — who has calledHarold“one of my favorite nipper ’s books”—co - star .
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A interpretation of this story ran in 2021 ; it has been updated for 2024 .
