Harold and the Purple Crayon is a 1955
children's book by
Crockett Johnson. Johnson's most popular book, it led to a series of books, and inspired many adaptations.
Plot
The protagonist, Harold, is a curious four-year-old boy who, with his
purple crayon, has the power to create a world of his own simply by drawing it.
Harold wants to go for a walk in the moonlight, but there is no moon, so he draws one. He has nowhere to walk, so he draws a path. He has many adventures looking for his room, but, in the end, he draws his own house and bed and goes to sleep.
Book series
- Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)
- Harold's Fairy Tale (1956)
- Harold's Trip to the Sky (1957)
- Harold at the North Pole (1958)
- A Picture for Harold's Room (1960)
Adaptations
The original story was adapted into a 7 minute
short film in 1959, directed by
David Piel and narrated by
Norman Rose. In 1971,
Gene Deitch directed an animation of
A Picture for Harold's Room, and in 1974 an animation of
Harold's Fairy Tale. In 1993, these 3 animations were packaged with a documentary, and sold as the
Harold and the Purple Crayon and Other Harold Stories set.
In 2002, the stories were adapted into a 13 episode television series for
HBO narrated by
Sharon Stone, which won a
Daytime Emmy Award for "Main Title Design", and was nominated for an
Annie Award and
Humanitas Prize.
There have also been theater adaptations.
Legacy
The book inspired programmer
Petri Purho to create the computer game
Crayon Physics Deluxe, and has been used frequently in children's and art education lesson plans.
