Genre or Category
Biography
Target Age Group
1st Grade – 4th Grade
Summary
This is the true story of the inventor Edwin Binney who loved color and wanted to bring beautiful colors to children by inventing a drawing crayon. Through hard work and dedication, he was successful in creating Crayola crayons.
Justification
In my search for a biography, I came across this book and immediately knew this was the biography for me. I love Crayola crayons— they have had such an impact on my childhood and my earliest creativity. Who doesn’t have fond memories of creating works of art with his invention? I even remember the nostalgic smell of a fresh box of crayons. And let’s be honest—no other brand has the same texture and vibrant color of the Crayola brand. I realized after all these years I had no idea how they came to be, but here in my hands was my opportunity to read the true story.
Evaluation
For this review, I will be evaluating accuracy, theme, and illustrations.
This book did an accurate job of telling the story of Edwin Binney’s mission to develop the crayon. Before he invented Crayola crayons, children only had the option of using black to draw. He wanted to bring them beautiful colors and change the way children created art forever. He had help from his wife who was a schoolteacher—she was the one who came up with the Crayola name by combining the French words for oily and stick of chalk. The story is told in a fun way that children will love and may not even realize how much they are learning in the process. After the story there is a segment of how Crayola crayons are made today with real pictures from the factory.
I love the themes of perseverance and creativity in this book. Edwin Binney had to go through many trials and errors in search of the perfect formula for Crayola crayons. He had to be very creative to give the world an instrument of creativity. Not only was he innovative and creative, but he was also determined. No matter the challenges he faced in his journey he never gave up. He got to see his dream come to life and that is one of my favorite themes to read and share with others.
How could I review The Crayon Man without touching on the illustrations? That’s the whole point of this—the artwork! The illustrations are colorful, vibrant, and will engage children. They help set the scene and show the process of creating a new invention. Edwin Binney comes to life as well in the illustrations. There is one image where he is covered in splotches of rainbow colors studying his first batch of crayons and the artist was able to capture such intensity in his expression. His beautiful story is illustrated with all the marvelous colors that he loved so dearly.
Reference
Biebow, N. (2019). The crayon man: The true story of the invention of Crayola crayons (S. Salerno, illus.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.