“A Picture for Harold’s Room” was written by Crockett Johnson. It’s about a small boy drawing a picture for his room. I like this book because the characters are funny. This book is a good book because the pictures are beautiful. I think all kids should read this book because it’s long and funny. I give this book three out of five stars! - Sieun Paik, Ivy Class, February 2018

This fantastical story of a boy and his magic purple crayon is a continuation of the classic tale, Harold and the Purple Crayon. Check this book out to “draw” up some fun and whimsy!

That intrepid toddler Harold turns to interior decoration in this sixth title devoted to his crayon-created adventures, deciding that his room needs a picture, and setting out to draw one. It's hard not to get sucked into one's drawing, however, when you have a magical purple crayon, and soon Harold is inside the picture itself, progressing from a giant who towers above the houses, seas and mountains he creates, to a smaller-than-a-daisy boy who is dwarfed by a mouse. Will he ever get back home to his own room again...?

Unlike its five predecessors, from Harold and the Purple Crayon to Harold's Circus, all of which were presented as picture-books, A Picture for Harold's Room is presented as an early reader, and part of the prestigious I Can Read line of books. I'm not sure this really makes a difference, in terms of either text or artwork - all the books could be used as either beginning readers or picture-book bedtime stories, I suspect - although it's interesting that the publisher thought it was necessary to distinguish this one from the others. Leaving issues of publication and genre aside, this was another engaging depiction of a child's imaginative play, with Harold creating his own adventures as he goes. Recommended to young children who have enjoyed some of the other Harold stories! ( )

I did not like it as much as the more famous Harold and the purple crayon. ( )

Age Appropriateness: 1st or 2nd Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Critique: Harold uses his purple crayon to draw pictures he can actually interact with. That's why this book is a fantasy. Harold is a flat character because he doesn't really have any background or even relatable emotions. ( )