Book cover of The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons

Book description

What child doesn't love to hold a crayon in their hands? But children didn't always have such magical boxes of crayons. Before Edwin Binney set out to change things, children couldn't really even draw in colour.

Here's the true story of an inventor who so loved nature's vibrant colours that…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Crayon Man as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Edwin Binney loved color! It’s this love of color that helped propel him near the turn of the 20th century to invent the world’s best crayons at the time and arguably the world’s best crayons of ALL time. I mean, what kid doesn’t love Crayola crayons, right? 

My favorite part of this book is all the imagination and experimentation that Binney and his team put into developing the perfect crayon recipe and color combinations. Kids will also have fun with the endpapers, which depict many nameless crayons with an invitation to “Choose a color. Give it a name. Draw a…

If you love The Crayon Man...

Book cover of What Does It Mean to Be American?

What Does It Mean to Be American? by Elad Yoran,

An engaging picture book for children that celebrates what it means to be American!

What does it mean to be American? Does it mean you like apple pie or fireworks? Not exactly. This patriotic picture book is perfect for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Election Day, or any day you want…

Want books like The Crayon Man?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 14 books like The Crayon Man.

Browse books like The Crayon Man

Book cover of Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
Book cover of The Boy Who Invented the Popsicle: The Cool Science Behind Frank Epperson's Famous Frozen Treat
Book cover of Pedro's Yo-Yos: How a Filipino Immigrant Came to America and Changed the World of Toys

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,366

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Crayon Man, you might also like...

Book cover of Marvelous Jackson

Marvelous Jackson by Laura Anne Bird,

Since losing his mom, thirteen-year-old Jack Wilson has spent most of his time seeing just how much trouble he can get away with so that he feels like a winner at something. But he takes his mischief too far and is faced with the possibility of unbearable consequences. He…

Book cover of Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale

Cinderelliot by Mark Ceilley,

A gay retelling of the classic fairy tale--a scrumptious love story featuring ungrateful stepsiblings, a bake-off, and a fairy godfather.

Cinderelliot is stuck at home taking care of his ungrateful stepsister and stepbrother. When Prince Samuel announces a kingdom-wide competition to join the royal staff as his baker, the stepsiblings…

5 book lists we think you will like!