Harold's ABC (Purple Crayon Book)
Harold's purple crayon and imagination teach children the alphabet.
Harold and his wonderfully imaginative purple crayon are at it again...and this time they are teaching children the alphabet.
But it's not the normal, A is for Apple kind of lesson. Harold uses his crayon to take a trip through the alphabet AND to the moon and back. Each letter begins an important part of the journey. A is for Attic, which is where the trip starts.
Harold incorporates each letter into a drawing, giving children a visual of what the letter looks like, but also what the 'word' looks like. For instance, S is for Sea Serpent. The letter 'S' becomes a part of the serpent's squiggly body.
The text is challenging in a charming way. Language such as edifice, ermine and genial make the book a great way to add words to an older child's vocabulary. Alliteration abounds for each letter. The drawings are pure Harold: simple, straightforward and extremely imaginative.
The book is also fun for adults to read. When Harold finds himself trying to climb back to Earth on the string of a kite, he suddenly thinks of an easier way to do it, using the next letter in the alphabet. With "L," he draws lightning. My favorite line in the book: Suddenly a quicker way of getting down struck Harold. L is for Lightning.
Tips
Have an older child read the book with a younger child and it will enhance both of their vocabularies.
