The title of the book was more than enough to capture my interest. The Day the Crayons Quit, it sounded cute and interesting. I encountered it from Goodreads being the 2013 Book of the Year. I thought it would be a light and humorous read for adults. There will be hilarious analogies about adulthood  told in the perspective a kid or be that, the crayons. 


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When I checked the book from different online stores, I was surprised to see a hardbound children's book. Actually, almost a picture book intended for pre-schoolers. Given that it's printed in hardbound, thick pages, huge fonts, colourful illustrations, the book will be surely expensive. True enough, it costs more than my regular paperback. So even though I wanted to purchase, I decided to search for free or cheaper ebooks. I was unsuccessful but I found a unique alternative... Youtube! There were story telling sessions that showcased the book. Not bad :) I treated it as my first attempt to experience an audiobook. 

In a nutshell, the book tells the story of Duncan's crayons. One day Duncan woke up to receive letters from his crayons. Each crayon related their sentiments, mostly complaints about being either over or under utilised. In the end, Duncan was able to address all the complaints. He didn't answer the letters of each crayon. Duncan instead did a great job in making each crayon become an instrument of a grand plan. :)

It took me a while to determine Drew Daywalt's message behind the story. I was overwhelmed by the overall "cuteness" (pardon the lack of term) of the story. My interpretation maybe shallow but the primary message I got from the book is the importance of complaining. Or to tone it down for the perspective of the kids, the importance of making other people know how you feel. Something I admittedly not used to doing. Yes, I'm the queen of martyrdom. lol I rant a lot to my friends and in this blog but more often than not, I don't confront and relay my sentiments to the other person involved. As one of my friends would say, my attitude is typical of most Filipinos. I'd rather shut up and endure everything to avoid further conflicts and arguments. The long term effect of this, stress and getting CANCER (knock on wood, nooo). lol

In terms of structure, the best thing I appreciate about the book is how Daywalt used the sad story of each crayon to craft a credible happy ending. After all the complaints sent by each crayon, Duncan was able to orchestrate a great accomplishment. Come to think of it,  the story would not have a great ending if the crayons were not brave enough to confront Duncan. I believe in real life or the in the world of the grownups,  this story also applies :) 

So there, even though the book is intended for kids, its meaning also appeals the grown ups. This is one of the few books that disprove Melanie Marquez's famous line, don't judge my brother, he is not a book. Hahahaha Okay, don't judge a book by its cover.  The book has an attractive title, cover and all the illustrations. Allow yourself to get deceived because the book is more than attractive. It has its own humour, structure, story and hidden yet valuable messages for the kids and kids at heart in us.