#14 in Picture books
Harold and the Purple Crayon
- 64
- Pages
- about 1 h
- Reading time
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Our view
One crayon is all “Harold and the Purple Crayon” needs to show small children what imagination can do. In Crockett Johnson’s 1955 picture book a little boy sets out on a night-time adventure with nothing but that crayon. Some readers use it in the classroom and find that it sets children thinking about what they could create themselves. Short, light and adventurous, it is made for the youngest listeners.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Harold and the Purple Crayon is a 1955 children's picture book written and illustrated by Crockett Johnson. Published by HarperCollins Publishers, it is Johnson's most popular book, with more than 5 and a half million copies sold and being translated into more than 14 languages, it has led to a series of other related books, as well as many adaptations. The story is written in third-person point-of-view, and follows a toddler boy on an imaginative adventure through the night.
Reading order · Harold
Full order & progress →- Harold and the Purple CrayonThis book
8.28.2 / 10 - Harold's Fairy TaleHarold's Fairy Tale–Not ranked yet
- Harold's Trip to the SkyHarold's Trip to the Sky–Not ranked yet
- Harold's CircusHarold's Circus–Not ranked yet
- A Picture for Harold’s RoomA Picture for Harold’s Room–Not ranked yet
- Harold's ABC Board BookHarold's ABC Board Book–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.4 across 148 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 50% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Picture books average of 8.3. That is how 8.2 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 8.9 | 26 | 18% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 122 | 82% |
Frequently asked
What age is Harold and the Purple Crayon for?
Harold and the Purple Crayon sits on the Children shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 5–10. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 64 pages — shorter than 83% of the ranked books in Picture books.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Picture books — with scores between 8.0 and 8.3, closest to this book.
