Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
by Crockett Johnson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Crockett JohnsonBrand: Harper Collins Publishers
Illustrator: Crockett Johnson
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Illustrated
Published: 1998-05-15
ISBN: 0064430227
Number of pages: 64
Publisher: HarperCollins
Product features:
- 1983 - Harper Trophy - Paperback
- Harold & the Purple Crayon
- By Crockett Johnson
- VG Condition
- Classic / Collectible
Book Reviews of Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
Book Review: Aeneas and the Purple Crayon
Summary: 5 Stars
Crockett Johnson's allegorical retelling of Books 1-6 of Vergil's "Aeneid" is still as powerful today as when it was originally published in 1955. After being startled by a "dragon" guarding apples - a reference to the Achaian menace brought on by the Golden Apple of Discord - Harold/Aeneas is forced into an involuntary sea voyage, accompanied only by the moon (here a stand-in for his patroness/mother Venus). He lands in a pleasant country, and enjoys a seaside feast (the wealth and luxury of Carthage), accompanied by a "hungry moose" and a "deserving porcupine", allegories for Dido and her sister Anna. It is no accident that it is Anna who is the "deserving" one - Dido, who spurns Iarbas in favor of trying to divert Aeneas from his divine mission is satirized as thin and rapacious.
Abandoning these at their banquet of overabundance, Harold/Aeneas continues his journey. He tries to climb a mountain to help locate his objective (the land where he is destined to settle), but it is only after a plunge into an abyss that he can gain enlightenment. Here Johnson has replaced the Roman conception of the underworld with a more strikingly literal representation - there "wasn't any other side" of the mountain, merely a void. Finally sensing that he is near to his destination, he passes first by a false house and then an entire false city - obvious metaphors for the false destinations such as Sicily which tempt the Trojan settlers. Harold/Aeneas "asks a policeman" (King Latinus) for directions, but, as Aeneas is guided by divine destiny, Latinus merely directs him "the way he was going anyway". Vergil's theme that a divine origin - and the firm religious foundation built upon this - is the wellspring of Roman glory is well symbolized by the ending; the journey of Harold/Aeneas ends when he embraces "pietas" and the destiny placed upon him by Venus, and builds his "room" around her (thus establishing the Roman race).
Crockett Johnson's masterful interpretation of this theme through spartan monochrome illustrations offers a remarkable counterpoint to Vergil's ornate Latin verse. But the pinnacle of his creation lies in the titular instrument. It is no great exaggeration to say that Vergil's patron, Augustus, was at the time engaged in remaking Rome in his own image. The author's metaphor is dual - Harold is not merely Aeneas, founder of the Romans. He is Augustus, the fulfillment of the Aeneid's central prophecies, redrawing Rome with an imperial purple crayon.
More Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books) reviews:
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Summary of Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
One evening Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight. But there wasn't any moon, and Harold needed a moon for a walk in the moonlight. Fortunately, he had brought his purple crayon. So he drew a moon. He also needed something to walk on. So he drew a path...
And thus begins one of the most imaginative and enchanting adventures in all of children's books. The creative concept behind this beloved story has intrigued children and kept them absorbed for generations, as page by page unfolds the dramatic and clever adventures of Harold and his purple crayon.
"One night, after thinking it over for some time, Harold decided to go for a walk in the moonlight." So begins this gentle story that shows just how far your imagination can take you. Armed only with an oversized purple crayon, young Harold draws himself a landscape full of beauty and excitement. But this is no hare-brained, impulsive flight of fantasy. Cherubic, round-headed Harold conducts his adventure with the utmost prudence, letting his imagination run free, but keeping his wits about him all the while. He takes the necessary purple-crayon precautions: drawing landmarks to ensure he won't get lost; sketching a boat when he finds himself in deep water; and creating a purple pie picnic when he feels the first pangs of hunger.
Crockett Johnson's understated tribute to the imagination was first published in 1955, and has been inspiring readers of all ages ever since. Harold's quiet but magical journey reminds us of the marvels the mind can create, and also gives us the wondrous sense that anything is possible. (Ages 4 to 8)
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