Thank you for visiting.
This content is exclusive to subscribers only.
As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
Log In
Don't have a Horn Book Account?
Register Now
Register Now
Crockett, S. D.
10 Reviews
(4)
YA
A year after the brutal rape and murder of Jamie Strand, an unnamed narrator still struggles with survivor's guilt; she could have easily answered Kyle's text asking to hang out and been his victim instead. Complicating her feelings is the strong connection she feels with Charlie, Jamie's bereaved boyfriend. An often compelling but ultimately uneven exploration of tragedy and grief and the unexpected emotions they bring.
Reviewer: Grace Enriquez
(2)
PS
When Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree, his famous purple crayon leads him to the North Pole and back before he draws just the right tree "between the fireplace and the big soft chair." This new board-book edition has fewer pages than the original 1957 picture book, with a handful of different page breaks (fitting more lines per page) and a few deletions of Harold's in-progress drawings.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2018
(3)
K-3
This book is reissued in a format well suited to beginning readers. Misled by an artificial flower, Groundhog tells the forest animals that "Spring is here!" Grumpy Pig proves Groundhog wrong and is blamed for more snow. Johnson's simple compositions and entertaining text are pleasingly child-centered.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(3)
1-3
This book is reissued in a format well suited to independent readers not quite ready for longer chapter books. In the story, a girl is torn between anticipating warmer weather and wanting to enjoy time with a new snowman friend. Johnson's simple compositions and gentle text are pleasingly child-centered.
Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth
(4)
PS
A board book edition of Harold is a good idea. A big book edition of Harold is a good idea. A big board book edition of Harold is completely unnecessary, but this is a faithful reproduction of Crockett Johnson's classic.
Reviewer: Roger Sutton
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1955
(3)
K-3
When Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree, his famous purple crayon leads him to the North Pole and back before drawing just the right tree (topped by the moon) "between the fireplace and the big soft chair." This "revised edition" is similar in size to the original editon.
Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.
(2)
YA
This bleak prequel to After the Snow is set in 2039. After her grandmother dies, Magda tries to make her way from her Polish village to her mother in England. Along the way she meets Ivan, with whom she falls passionately in love. The vivid characterization, with Magda's calm practicality set against Ivan's trickster ways, makes this a poignant story that stands alone.
Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
January, 2014
(2)
YA
Fifteen-year-old Willo and his family live in a future ice-age world. One day he comes home to find his family gone, stranding him in the frozen mountains of Wales. Willo's first-person voice is distinctive; the dystopian world, especially the hellish city, is carefully delineated. Allusions to Yeats, Genesis, Browning, and various fairy tales lend epic weight to Willo's journey.
Reviewer: Dean Schneider
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
March, 2012
(2)
1-3
During the course of twelve short chapters, Ellen and her stuffed lion roam the world having adventures without ever leaving home. In this welcome reissue, Johnson, whose illustrations of Ellen will be instantly familiar to fans of Harold and the Purple Crayon, provides an uncannily accurate picture of a child's imagination at play.
Reviewer: Terri Schmitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
October, 1959
(3)
K-3
When Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree, his famous purple crayon leads him to the North Pole and back before drawing just the right tree (topped by the moon) "between the fireplace and the big soft chair." While not as big in size as a standard picture book, this new edition (which contains the original art and text) is larger than the palm-sized original.
Reviewer: Mary Burkey
10 reviews
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.