Author: Natascha Biebow Illustrator: Steven Salerno Clarion Books March 2019
Synopsis (From Publisher):
Purple mountains’ majesty, mauvelous, jungle green, razzmatazz…
What child doesn’t love to hold a crayon in their hands? But children didn’t always have such magical boxes of crayons. Before Edwin Binney set out to change things, children couldn’t really even draw in color.
Here’s the true story of an inventor who so loved nature’s vibrant colors that he found a way to bring the outside world to children – in a bright green box for only a nickel! With experimentation, and a special knack for listening, Edwin Binney and his dynamic team at Crayola created one of the world’s most enduring, best-loved childhood toys – empowering children to dream in COLOR!
CWR Review:
This is the story of Edwin Binney, the inventor of Crayola crayons. He worked in a company that sold carbon black pigment that people were able to use in inks, lamps, shoe polish, etc. His life in this factory was not very colorful. He was an inventor at heart, he created an inexpensive slate pencil for school children and a wax crayon that was useful for writing on paper packaging. Soon, he began to get requests to create better crayons that were affordable and more suitable for children. Edwin experimented, and through trial and error found not only that he could create such a crayon, but he could also create a variety of colors. His wife gave the idea of combing the two French words “Craie” meaning stick or chalk and “Ola” referring to oil texture to make the word Crayola. Because of Edwin, Crayola has an enduring legacy of being an affordable instrument children can use to express themselves through art.
Vocabulary was simple and the topic is captivating…where did our beloved crayons come from? I was enthralled with this story, the story of an inventor who used his talent, skill, freedom, and opportunity to enrich the life of young children.
The illustrations are wonderful, rendered in charcoal crayon, gouache, and digital color; Edwin’s expressions through the book are priceless. I enjoy reading about inventors, especially those whose contributions mean so much to us yet have very little fanfare. I want my children to be encouraged to be productive, and to respond to needs and desires with a creative spirit. Edwin Binney’s story can help your kids get there.
Crayons are a big deal in my house. They are cherished and well used, when broken they are kept in a jar for wax melting. We take them when we go on long trips or when we know we will be sitting a while because we never know when there may be an opportunity to draw or make something. I prefer Crayola over all the other brands out there, and when my children were little, I found the extra money needed to pay for washable crayons a worthy investment.
Enlightening, lighthearted, motivating, get yours here or here.
Themes: inventions and inventors
Leave a Reply