The day the lipsticks gave up

"...The truth is that the title caught my interest right from the start. It’s just that all of us parents are now so familiar with felt-tip pens, crayons, and all kinds of pencils, without ever having stopped to think about what a fundamental role they play in children’s lives. One of their most important pastimes. Drawing. Inseparable from childhood, creativity and imagination. If they were to be deprived of these tools, a great void would indeed be created."

"...I must admit there hasn’t been a time when we haven’t opened it, a day when we haven’t read it, or a moment when it hasn’t inspired us to draw!"

"...The book lends itself to imaginative, hilarious browsing, and I’m sure that Jeffers, beyond his illustrations, would have added a few doses of his humour. Reading it takes me to many places and conveys many messages at once. Our lives are more interesting and beautiful when they are full of colour and balance."

"...These wonderful lipsticks have managed to make us laugh from the bottom of our hearts and rediscover just how beautiful life is with all its colours combined."

"...This story is a revolution … in pictures! Since when do lipsticks have a voice? [...] A favourite book for young children, but also for parents who can come up with a new way of organising … lipsticks, which are usually found everywhere."

"...My son absolutely loved the story! I think it was the first time I’d ever seen him laugh out loud at a book, and the first time he’d asked me to read a book to him twice in a row! He marvelled at Jeffers’ illustrations and I think they’ll be a source of inspiration for his own artistic pursuits."

"...The end result is a beautiful book, with colourful, vibrant illustrations and a story that is genuinely fun to read."

"...An imaginative and hilarious story that is sure to make children see their crayons in a different light. It will make them think about how else they can use colours and use their imagination to come up with new solutions. They will also realise that it is important to look after our things because, in their own way, they are all important. And while Daywalt gives the crayons a voice, Jeffers brings them to life in the magical way that only he knows how. His illustrations feel familiar and could well be the drawings of little Duncan."

"Yet another book—a work of art—from a publishing house that respects its readers, young and old, and frequently bestows upon us—indeed, very frequently—precious gifts of reading."

"...Drew Daywalt’s humour and the wonderful illustrations by the much-loved Oliver Jeffers have created a real treasure for young bookworms!"

"...alongside Daywalt’s humorous text, handwritten in a different colour on every page, are Jeffers’ illustrations, reminiscent of children’s drawings. So convincing, in fact, that they even include pencil marks outside the lines. In a childlike manner, though Jeffers leaves his mark by slipping characteristic elements of his style into unsuspecting moments."

"...The book is truly entertaining, well-written, with multiple layers of meaning, and an original ode to the value of cooperation and interaction. Everything becomes easier, more beautiful, more colourful and richer when everyone puts their skills and talents to use, moving away from the ‘I’ and effortlessly towards the ‘we’, which is infinitely more beautiful!"

"So, when the lipsticks rebel, it’s like what we adults call a physical reaction – as if the lipsticks were part of our bodies. Our body tells us, ‘Enough now, something’s not right.’ That’s what the crayons do too. They rebel; they ask him to change something. And Duncan does. What in life might take years and involve complex processes can, through imagination and play, happen naturally, almost imperceptibly."

"...A story full of humour, which speaks to children as a child would speak, writes as a child would write, and draws as a child would draw. A story that celebrates the concepts of equality, cooperation, diversity, and the balance that the existence of many different ‘colours’ brings to our lives, but also the importance of being able to put ourselves in others’ shoes, so that we may appreciate their work and their unique place in (our) lives."

"...Don’t forget that Jeffers’ sketches are so familiar to a child’s eye that for a moment you might think they were drawn by a six-year-old. And that is truly remarkable for a book with the thematic direction of *The Day the Crayons Quit*."

"...Drew Daywalt writes an original and captivating story, which Oliver Jeffers complements in his own unique way, with illustrations that you can tell are his from the cover alone, as they are so recognisable to anyone who follows and admires him. And when the text meets the illustration with such mastery, the result can only be exceptional!"

"...Each crayon and a pedagogical observation, a pedagogical suggestion from the adult to the young artists. We say pedagogical rather than didactic because the person taking on this role suggests more and imposes less. A painting lesson, then, on the value and properties of colours, but above all on the imagination and freedom that are intertwined with art!"

"...An entertaining and humorous fairy tale that cleverly conveys messages for children. The symbolism of colours and their place in everyday life. But also teaching these to younger children. Each colour takes on its own personality and, with subtle moral lessons, speaks of equality, friendship, the usefulness of everyone in society, and love."

"...A children’s book is a success when, apart from the children it is aimed at, it manages to delight adults too! That is exactly what happened in our home when we got our hands on Drew Daywalt’s book *The Day the Crayons Quit*, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers."