The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons - by Leanne Hatch

About the Book

"When Violet gets a super big box of crayons, she can't bring herself to use them because they are so perfect"--

Book Synopsis

Nothing is better than a brand new box of crayons. Violet loves hers so much that she refuses to share them--or even to use them-- but maybe her little sister is on to something . . .

Violet is ecstatic when she earns her very own super big box of eighty-four crayons all matching in length, perfectly pointed, each in their smooth, uniform wrapper. There's even one with her name on it. She can't stop imagining all the wonderful things she can draw with them.

But when it comes time to get busy, she can't seem to do it--she doesn't want to ruin all that perfection. It isn't until her little sister takes matters into her own hands that Violet is able to let go and have fun drawing all the things she dreamed up when she first got her box of brand-new, never-used, perfect crayons.

With The Brand-New, Never-Used, Perfect Crayons, Leanne Hatch taps into the joy of sharing, creating, and letting go of perfectionism. Adorable art set alongside textured crayon sketches reminiscent of classics like Harold and the Purple Crayon makes this a book perfectly suited for the shelves of young creatives everywhere.

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Review Quotes

"Textured, crayon-like strokes create a colorful, relatable world. The text uses accessible language and conveys its message about embracing the imperfect without being overly didactic. This story makes a useful social-emotional learning resource and will resonate with anyone hesitant to change or with tendencies toward perfectionism."--The Horn Book

"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."--Publishers Weekly

"Rife with valuable lessons about the creative process."--Kirkus Reviews

"The writing shows a fine-tuned awareness of young children's emotions. . . . An appealing, rewarding read-aloud choice."--Booklist

About the Author

Leanne Hatch is the author and illustrator of Unraveled, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and the forthcoming Rosie and the Pre-Loved Dress. Her illustration portfolios have won an SCBWI Portfolio Showcase Award Grand Prize and two Honors. She was also the winner of the SCBWI Narrative Art Award and 1st Place Portfolio Award at the SCBWI Western Washington Conference. Leanne lives in Kirkland, Washington. Visit her at leannehatch.com and on Instagram.