After a long day of looking at pixels on a screen, I want big easy-to-read type, amazing illustrations, high-quality printing and a download of magic just before I lay to sleep.

Yes… that is what I want.

We want it for our kids, too. We want to clear their minds of anything but imagination, creativity and fun so only the most colorful dreams happen.

Some goodies that are keeping my dreams bright are:

The Day The Crayons Quit
By Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Your Happy Friend, The Green Crayon

Drew sheds light on the fact that crayons have feelings and Oliver Jeffers makes wonderful, wonderful art.

Poor Duncan just wants to color. But when he opens his box of crayons, he finds only letters, all saying the same thing: His crayons have had enough! They quit!

Beige Crayon is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown Crayon. Black wants to be used for more than just outlining. Blue needs a break from coloring all those bodies of water. And Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking—each believes he is the true color of the sun.

What can Duncan possibly do to appease all of the crayons and get them back to doing what they do best?

This book would get anyone’s imagination going and that is what I love about these “kid books”. The magic lies outside of the lines and then I think, where else am I only keeping the color green for crocodiles, trees, dinosaurs and frogs?

Crabtree
By Jon and Tucker Nichols

This book is beyond everything I need in a book.

It is equally hysterical for a 4-year-old as it is for me. But for very different reasons. I am humored by learning more about Alfred Crabtree than he knows about himself and my son Teeg loves the absolutely ridiculous objects — a squeeze bottle of mustard, a plunger, a rubber band or two, a few very fancy hats, and a group portrait of sea monsters. There’s an old cassette tape, a swizzle stick, a bicycle pump and an armadillo shell.

Help Alfred get organized

All of Alfred’s things that are yellow

All of Alfred’s utensils

If You Want to See a Whale
By Julie Fogliano and illustrated by Erin E. Stead

The author advises, “You will need a window, and an ocean, and time for waiting, and time for looking… ”

In this book, Fogliano’s words are carved and measured. This is a writer who takes her time, and the leaps she makes with words surprise and thrill.

Wait….wait…

and wait…

*****

Join me and my colorful friends—who won’t quit until every color is used for anything and everything, until Alfred gets organized and by truly enjoying all of those little moments in between the big ones.