A Day With No Crayons

A Day With No Crayons
by Elizabeth Rusch
illustrated by Chad Cameron

Ages 4-8

Publisher: Rising Moon

Liza loved her crayons.
She treasured turquoise,
adored apricot, and
flipped over fuchsia.

After pages and pages of colorful images, Liza ran out of paper and discovered one blank wall right in her room and promptly got to work. Of course, Mother took the crayons away with a strict, "No more crayons for you today." What is Liza to do?

As her day progresses, with her stomping and sulking, she sees color everywhere - indoors and outdoors! She drags a muddy stick across the park sketching a chocolate-brown tree trunk and branches, scrapes an old red brick along the sidewalk drawing a desert, some camels and a whole caravan...

As her color-filled day comes to a close, she finds herself back home where her mother offers her back her crayons if she promises not to color on the walls. And, guess what Liza says? "I think I can go one more day with no crayons".

This is one of the few picture books that resonated with Ana since our entry into the world of chapter books. Chad Cameron's illustrations are amazing, with some subtle references to famous artists. The page with the caravan of camels was her favorite. And mine. A single continuous line makes up each of the camels and Ana and I couldn't wait to try it out ourselves.

While simple in concept, the book shows that creativity need not be limited by the tools or the medium.

[image source: Elizabeth Rusch website]

[cross-posted at Saffron Tree]