The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons

June 1, 2023
Preschool-Grade 2 At the store with her father and Marigold, her younger sister, Violet asks her father for a box of 84 crayons, and he agrees. Back at home, she does her chores and then takes the crayons out of their box. After arranging them in different ways, she carefully puts them back, reluctant to "ruin them" by drawing with them. She repeats this ritual for days, even after giving Marigold her old, broken crayons. When Violet finds Marigold using the new ones, she gets angry, first at Marigold and then at the crayons. Finally, she realizes that she's tired of worrying about them. After apologizing to each other, the sisters break in the new crayons by drawing pictures together. In Hatch's three picture books, which include Unraveled (2021) and Rosie and the Pre-loved Dress (2022), the writing shows a fine-tuned awareness of young children's emotions. While the art was created digitally, many of the lines suggest children's crayon drawings through their spontaneity as well as their textured and sometimes layered strokes of color. An appealing, rewarding read-aloud choice.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
When Violet spots a box of 84 crayons at the store, her imagination runs wild with artistic possibilities. At home, the child opens up the box of brand-new, never-used crayons--all the same length, perfectly pointed, with smooth, uniform wrappers. But Violet is torn--her new crayons are too perfect to use (what if they get ruined?), while her old broken crayons aren't capable of creating anything truly special...though her sister, Marigold, is happy to use them. Even their mother's comment about the beauty of imperfections fails to convince Violet. When Marigold sneaks off and uses Violet's new crayons to draw a picture for her, Violet is angry...first at Marigold, then at the crayons. "She was tired of worrying about them." The sisters soon make up, and together they wear "down the perfectly pointed tips of eighty-four brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons." As a nice touch, the text and illustrations remind readers that both girls have crayons named after them. Digitally created illustrations, some that look like child-created crayon art and others more realistic, work with the brief text to convey a simple but heartwarming tale. Hatch reminds readers that a willingness to take chances and make mistakes is crucial for any young artist. Characters are light-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Rife with valuable lessons about the creative process. (Picture book. 3-8)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2023
Violet spots a pack of eighty-four "brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons" in a store and is ecstatic when (after some wheeling and dealing) they become hers. She imagines all of the wonderful, colorful things she can draw, but soon realizes that she can't bring herself to use the crayons. Little sister Marigold questions why; Violet responds, "They are too pretty. I don't want to ruin them...I think I'll save them for another day." But that day doesn't come, and Violet's mood declines -- especially once Marigold decides to help herself to their use. Thankfully, the sisters are able to come to an understanding, "and together, they wore down the perfectly pointed tips of eighty-four brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons." The illustrations are drawn digitally, with the palette sometimes reflecting Violet's emotions (e.g., when she first encounters the crayons, gray backgrounds give way to more varied colors). Textured, crayon-like strokes create a colorful, relatable world. The text uses accessible language and conveys its message about embracing the imperfect without being overly didactic. This story makes a useful social-emotional learning resource and will resonate with anyone hesitant to change or with tendencies toward perfectionism. Sara Dowler

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

August 21, 2023
Budding artist Violet is smitten when she spots a box of 84 crayons and imagines “all the wonderful things she could draw with that many colors.” But, though the drawings-to-be—jungle animals that crowd a spread—accompany pale-skinned Violet when she asks for the box and does the necessary chores to earn it, the creatures seem to scatter when she can’t bear to mar the brand-new art supplies. As her sister happily scribbles with the broken nubs of old crayons, Violet finds the result to be “a mess,” believing that “beauty is found in a super big box of brand-new, never-used perfect crayons.” Sibling mischief eventually helps Violet unleash her imagination in a moment that emphasizes the existence of the imperfect in creativity. Hatch’s digital renderings of appropriately crayon-like images capture the believable sibling dynamic behind this story of artistic expression and new beginnings. Ages 4–8.

July 1, 2023
Violet spots a pack of eighty-four "brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons" in a store and is ecstatic when (after some wheeling and dealing) they become hers. She imagines all of the wonderful, colorful things she can draw, but soon realizes that she can't bring herself to use the crayons. Little sister Marigold questions why; Violet responds, "They are too pretty. I don't want to ruin them...I think I'll save them for another day." But that day doesn't come, and Violet's mood declines -- especially once Marigold decides to help herself to their use. Thankfully, the sisters are able to come to an understanding, "and together, they wore down the perfectly pointed tips of eighty-four brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons." The illustrations are drawn digitally, with the palette sometimes reflecting Violet's emotions (e.g., when she first encounters the crayons, gray backgrounds give way to more varied colors). Textured, crayon-like strokes create a colorful, relatable world. The text uses accessible language and conveys its message about embracing the imperfect without being overly didactic. This story makes a useful social-emotional learning resource and will resonate with anyone hesitant to change or with tendencies toward perfectionism.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)