Last month, I took my grandkids to the new movie about Harold and the Purple Crayon. I was excited because I loved this book as a child. Before we went, I read them the book. Surprisingly, they said they had never read the classic story. It had been quite a while for me as well. If you are unfamiliar with the story, it was written in 1955 by Crockett Johnson and published by HarperCollins Publishers. The story follows a little boy named Harold with a magic purple crayon. Everything that Harold draws with the purple crayon comes into existence. The plot follows Harold’s adventures as he searches for his bedroom window.
The Movie
In the movie, Harold leaves his storybook world and travels to our world. In this world, he is a grown-up. However, he still has the mind of a child and believes anything is possible—of course, it is with his purple crayon!
The movie could have received better reviews. However, as a children’s author, I loved how it stayed true to the book. The movie referenced Harold’s bedroom window, the moon, and even the purple pies he drew. His drawings of a moose and a porcupine are also crucial in the movie, as they become real people and travel with him into the real world.
Spoiler Alert: One of my favorite parts of the movie was that the librarian recognized Harold from the famous children’s book. The librarian is the antagonist in the story and wants the power of the purple crayon for himself. He is also an author and prefers to live his life in the stories he creates.
Helping Your Children Use Their Imagination
As a teacher, I Loved reading this book to my students. Afterward, I would have them each create their own books with their name and their favorite color crayon. They each had to use their imagination and draw in their book the places they wanted to visit and the things they wanted to do. With their own magic crayon and their imaginations, they could do anything. For the cover of the books, I would print a picture of each of them holding their crayon and paste it on the cover.
Using my Imagination as a Christian Children’s Author
I can relate as an author and acquisitions editor myself. The characters in my children’s books are so real. Yes, I’ve imagined them. However, they are a part of who I am, especially because they represent my relationship with God. It is wonderful to be a Christian children’s author and use your imagination to tell the story of Jesus in unique and different ways. You can learn more about my books here.
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