Story Sack – ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ by Drew Dewalt & Oliver Jeffers and ‘The Crayon Man’ by Natascha Biebow & Steve Salerno

For a long time I’ve wanted to make a story based on Drew Dewalt ‘s and Oliver Jerrers’s ‘The Day the Crayons Quit,’ but as is often the way I could not find an age appropriate related non-fiction book to compliment the story. It was therefore joy to me, when I heard that SCWBI-BI Regional Director, (who I’ve had the pleasure of working with in my time volunteering for SCBWI) Natascha Biebow had written a picture book about the man who invented crayons, as it is the illusive missing piece of the story stack.

So before we start our post, here is a quick note on what a story sack is, and what it includes…

Story Sack Checklist

• A good quality fiction book. (picture book or novel)
• A non-fiction book related to the story and themes in the chosen picture book.
• Toys, (ideally a soft toy for younger children).
• A game or activity also related to the theme of the chosen fiction book.
• Optional worksheet based on the story and themes off the story sack.

Fiction Book - ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ by Drew Dewalt & Oliver Jeffers

The Day the Crayons Quit is a celebration of colour and creativity. It’s a humorous read, as the Crayons all write letters to their owner Duncan complaining about how he uses them; pointing out the notions of preconceptions of how things are; pink for girls, blue for water, and so on. It is done in charming way which is reminiscent of the Little Prince’s drawings in the classic Antonie de Saint-Exupery book. Duncan responds by unleashing his creativity to use his colours in a more liberated way, pleasing everyone, including his teacher. The Day the Crayons Quit is an original, unique and funny read with vibrant illustrations which work perfectly with the text.

Non-Fiction Book ‘The Crayon Man’ by Natascha Biebow & Steve Salerno

‘The Crayon Man’, is much akin to ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ as it is also a celebration of creativity and colour, telling the remarkable true story, of Edwin Binney who invented the Crayola waxed crayons. The book is beautiful, as it explores Edwin’s journey with fun flowing narrative interjected with boxes of facts and beautiful illustrations by Steve Salerno. In addition it has a biography of Edwin Binney and a section explaining the way Crayola Crayons are made today, which makes it a perfect companion book for the story sack – Thanks Natascha and Steve! 

Toys

This is maybe the easiest story sack I’ve ever done as far as soft toys are concerned, as there is a wide range of ‘The Day the Crayons Quit’ merchandise available online, I opted for the Crayon box full of Crayon finger puppets, which was relatively inexpensive at £6.99 including postage. Plus I’ve included a man finger puppet which can be used as Edwin too. 

Games

There are ready made games available online, like a fabric crayon matching set from Esty, or a Crayola branded card game (if you can find one cheap enough), but to keep cost down, I chose to make my own. So, I used four small draw string bags that I already had and filled them with four packs of chunky crayons (89p each) , which can be used in multiple ways…


Crayon Colour Snap

Up to four players

Equipment: Four bags full of identical set of crayons.

Rules:

1. On the count of three, all players pull a random crayon from their bag.

2. If any colours match, the first person to shut Snap wins them all, and places them in front of them. Any un-matching coloured crayons go back in the bag they came from.

3. When the bags are empty, the player with the most crayons in front of them wins. In the event of a tie, those players play again, until there is an outright winner. 

Crayon Colour Quick Fire Draw

Up to four players

Equipment:

· Four bags full of identical set of crayons. Colour Dice. Paper. Doodle cards, (or story cube)

Rules:

1. All players have a bag with identical crayons inside (that correspond to the colours on the dice).

2. Turn over a doodle card to see what you need to draw, or if using a story cube, throw the cube.

3. Throw colour dice - to get a colour.

4. Find the colour in your bag, and draw the picture with that colour. First player to shout done, and having drawn the picture correctly in the right colour wins. If using a doodle cards, the player gets the card, and the overall winner is the one with the most cards at the end, if using a story cube, keep tally.

Worksheet or Activity

For a activity, I’ve included a pack of Crayola crayons, for drawing and colouring, a pack of crayon stickers and a ‘the Day the Crayons Quit’ inspired activity Sheet. 

Thank you for visiting!

SCBWI Poacher Turned Gamekeeper Event Teaser with Phil Earle, Non Pratt and Robin Stevens

Next month the brilliant SCBWI (Society for Children's Book Writer and Illustrators) are holding an event called Poacher Turned Gamekeeper, where three folks who work as professionals in the publishing industry

by day and write by night are getting together to share their secrets.

The line up is impressive with Phil Earle Sales Director at Bloomsbury and author of Saving Daisy, Non Pratt Editor at Catnip and author of Trouble and Robin Stevens, Editorial Assistant at Orion and soon to be published author of Murder Most Unladylike (Random House 2014).

All three panellists and SCBWI are very excited about this event and have been spreading the word, check out Robin blog here. With that in mind, we at SOBS have the privilege of hosting a little teaser interview, to show folks what they can lookforward to, and of course you can book tickets to the vent which is being held on November 5th at St James Piccadilly by visiting SCBWI web-site press here.

Lets meet the Poachers turned Gamekeepers...

What was your favourite children’s book as a child?

Flat Stanley By Jeff Brown.

What is your favourite children’s book as an adult?

That's tough, it changes every day....Holes by Louis Sachar, Skellig by David Almond, The Outsiders by SE Hinton...

What do you think makes children’s books so inspirational?

The purity of the storytelling. No messing about, just tell me a story!

What was your favourite children’s book as a child? 

There were many at many different times, so the answer to this question varies a lot! I inherited all my mum’s books from her childhood, including a fantastic collection of Greek myths and legends. I devoured the stories, writing down all my favourite names to give to my collection of toy horses. I can remember the horses, but alas, not the stories of their namesakes!

What is your favourite children’s book as an adult?

I’m going to default to The Knife of Never Letting Go because it’s my favourite book of all time. Searing prose, unsettlingly vivid world-building and cruel twists of narrative. The most exhausting – and rewarding – thing I’ve ever read.

What do you think makes children’s books so inspirational?

Because they are true (at least, the best of them are) – they speak straight to the nature of the reader without any pretensions or hidden agendas. Children don’t care who wrote a thing when they first pick it up, which means that the writing has to speak for itself.

What was your favourite children’s book as a child?

Absolutely anything by Diana Wynne Jones. I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer, but reading her as a child made me realise what kind of books I wanted to write.

What is your favourite children’s book as an adult?

It still has to be Diana Wynne Jones – maybe HEXWOOD or THE DALEMARK QUARTET, although it changes on a regular basis. I think she’s perfect.

What do you think makes children’s books so inspirational?

Children’s books are all about firsts. They introduce people to ideas and possibilities that they have never encountered before, and that will stay with them for the rest of their lives as a consequence.

Time for a few Teaser Questions...

 What made you want to work in the field of children’s literature?

.

I don't know really. I just get a real buzz when I read a kids book I love..

Children’s books have always been my favourite things – although I tried for hundreds of jobs in advertising and PR. I only applied for one in children’s publishing, believing it was too hard to get into and look where that got me.

Children’s books matter so much. A lot of people behave as though they’re somehow lesser than books written for adults, but that’s just not true. Children are extremely discerning readers, and so children’s books have to be incredibly fresh, funny, imaginative and engaging to grab their audience. And the children’s book world is even more exciting now than it was when I was a child – I feel so privileged to be a part of it.

  Were you an editor first or writer first?

I’ve been writing since I was 14. My first novel will testify from the bottom drawer in which it resides that I didn’t learn how to edit until much (much) later.

I’ve been making up stories before I could actually read or write, so definitely a writer. But I think I’ve always had the editorial impulse too – so this combination just feels like a natural fit.

Phil, please can you explain a little about your role as Sale Director?

.I am sales director at Bloomsbury Kids Books. I sell our books to bookshops, supermarkets and e-retailers. I'm also part of the team who decides which books to buy and how to market them..

What is your professional on your passport – writer or editor?

Neither! But if I’m asked what my job is, I say that I’m in publishing.

Sales director, sadly!

Editor? I guess…

What is the most difficult part of your professional role and about being a writer?

Wondering why other books do better than my own!

The guilt. I should be reading a manuscript whenever I’m writing. I should be writing when I’m working late on an edit. When I lie awake fretting about not giving enough to my authors or myself, I should really be sleeping.

The two worlds collide a lot, and so I’ve already had the experience of knowing someone as a writer, and then being asked to assess their work with my editorial hat on. 

What the best part of your professional role and about being a writer?

The emotional detachment. I know why I ask for editorial changes from an author and I’m prepared to ask the same of myself.

I spend all day working at a job I love, and then I get to come home and have fun with my writing! I feel very lucky.

The fact that I get to think about kids books pretty much all day long...

To find out more about this event and book rickets visit the SCBWI London Professionals Series page by pressing here.