We Need To Convince Our Favorite Crayons Not To Quit!

Today I walked into Barnes & Noble to buy OTIS and the Scarecrow, the new book by my friend Loren Long.  

I was surprised to be greeted by several familiar faces holding up picketing signs.  They were Drew Daywalt's crayons, another amazing author friend, from one of my all-time-favorite picture books The Day The Crayons Quit.  

Oliver Jeffers: Picture Book Maker by PenguinYoungReaders

To make The Day The Crayons Quit even better, it is illustrated by another favorite, Oliver Jeffers. You just have to watch this video about Oliver and the beautiful, fun art he creates.  

I didn't know what all of this ruckus was about, but I sure couldn't wait to find out.  

I read the flyers around the store that are asking all of us to join the effort in helping the crayons. 

We all have until September 30th.  

There will be special events throughout the month at Barnes & Noble, with an ending event on the 30th announcing what the crayons decide.  

There are stationa set up with a big sign stating "I Support The Crayons" hanging above.  

You can draw a picture, write a letter, or send a message to the crayons on the sheets Penguin Young Readers and B & N have provided.  

Then put the in the box to share with the crayons.

You can also find different displays set up throughout the children's section that help support the different colors of crayons.  I love what they have paired together for each.

 One of the best places to follow the crayons campaign is on Twitter.  You can use the hashtag #supporthecrayons on Facebook and Twitter to tell how you are supporting the crayons and to see what others are doing too.

I had so much fun reading through the #supportthecrayons tweets and especially love the ones from @PenguinKids

If you can't get to a Barnes & Noble, check out the information about the Don't Let The Crayons Quit! campaign on their website. 

This is such a fun event to bring to our libraries, schools, and public libraries! 

There are so many ways we can tie this into our curriculum and schools. You need to check out the awesome Educator's Guide To The Day The Crayons Quit from Penguin Young Readers Group.  They have included pages for letter writing, sentence completion, and persuasive writing.  

The part I loved finding was the section entitled "Support the Crayons Campaign!" There are several fun activities that all of our kids will find so much fun.

My dear friend Matthew Winner just had Drew as a guest on his "Let's Get Busy Podcast" show.

The New York Times ran this article last week, Inviting Young Readers To Take Sides In A Crayon-Labor Dispute 

I can't wait to see what everyone does to help convince the crayons.  I sure hope they decide not to quit....

and can't wait to see what is in store for them next!