The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons

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. (Aug.)