Chris Van Allsburg – Philip Nel

The Purple Crayon’s Legacy, Part II: Picture Books

June 23, 2013Philip NelArt, Children's Literature, Chris Van Allsburg, Crockett Johnson, Delphine Durand, Lane Smith, Mark Newgarden, Metafiction, Ruth KraussArt, Children's Literature, Chris Van Allsburg, Crockett Johnson, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Lane Smith, Mark Newgarden, Metafiction, Ruth Krauss16 Comments

In the 58 years since its publication, Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon has appeared in 14 languages, and inspired many artists. This blog (which takes its name from a line in the book) presented The Purple Crayon’s Legacy, Part I: Comics & Cartoons… nearly three years ago. It is at last time for

Chris Van Allsburg’s True Story

His first non-fiction work, Queen of the Falls (2011) is also one of Chris Van Allsburg’s best.Â Indeed, in some ways it marks a return to form.Â After writing and illustrating a picture book each year for about 15 years, Van Allsburg stopped producing picture books for a while.Â Following Bad Day at Riverbend (1995),