It is based on a poem written by Shane DeRolf. He showed it to
some
friends at the Advertising Council, who like it so much that they adopted
it (along with the Leadership Conference Education Fund) as the theme
of
their 1997 national anti-discrimination public service message campaign.
Now it's a book. The illustrations are "crayon-y" looking and
very
appealing to kids.
The story goes about a little girl (it is written in her voice) who
goes to
the toy store and buys a bickering box of crayons. The colors
don't get
along, but no one is sure why, least of all the colors. The girls
lays out
all the colors so they can watch her create a beautiful picture using
all
the colors. The crayons begin to appreciate the unique qualities
of the
other crayon colors. In the end, they realize that we all need
each other
to create a whole picture.
I plan on using this book in my classroom. It is short enough
for younger
children to sit through and grasp the message, and thought-provoking
enough
for older kids to generate discussion.
1. Have you written or do you know of other books specifically
for
children that address multicultural issues?
2. Are there any resources that go along with this book for use
in the
classroom?
3. What is your cultural background that helped you write this book?
4. What kinds of experiences did you have in school that might
have
contributed toward you wanting to write this book?
5. Can I have your autograph?
Reviewed by Kasey Tegner