Why Pam Muñoz Ryan wrote The Crayon Counting Book
Jerry Pallotta, who wrote the popular alphabet book series (that includes The Icky Bug Alphabet Book and many others), always wanted to do a book about crayons. One of Pam Muñoz Ryan's publishers, Charlesbridge Publishing, is also Pallotta's publisher. Ryan had written catalog copy and flap copy for some of his earlier books. Jerry Pallotta and Pam Muñoz Ryan worked on the concept for this book together. That's why both of their names are on the book. He had the idea for this book, acted as the art director, and they collaborated on the subject matter. They wanted a fun book that counted by twos, two different ways!
There's a secret in the first half of the book. Ryan used as many synonyms for the word "two" as she could squeeze into the text. If you look carefully, you'll find the words two, pair, double, twosome, binary, couple, buddies, twins, party, duo, partners, and set.
And there's something else you might like know. You will find some funny names for the colors of the crayons in this book. Pam Muñoz Ryan wanted to use some names that were different from any other crayons on earth, so she named them after some of the subjects in Jerry's nature and science alphabet books. Look for the crayons called iris, fiddlehead, skink, iguana, redfish, koi, nutmeg, daffodil, beet, gosling, emerald tree boa, forget-me-not, lobster, zinnia, rose, indigo hamlet, buttercup, flamingo, jezebel, jalapeño, hammerhead shark, and naked mole rat. Hope you have as much fun counting with this book, as Pam Muñoz Ryan did finding the names for the crayons!
Children's Choices for 1997
International Reading Association & Children's Book CouncilThis colorful rhyme teaches counting by twos, two different ways - first by even numbers and then by odd. Also available in board book version. Written by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Jerry Pallotta. Illustrated by Frank Mazzola, Jr. and published by Charlesbridge Publishing.
Learning Activity 1 Learning Activity 2 Riddles The above cover is from The Crayon Counting Book by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Jerry Pallotta, illustrated by Frank Mazzola, Jr. Text copyright© 1996 by Pam Muñoz Ryan and Jerry Pallotta. Illustrations copyright© 1996 by Frank Mazzola, Jr. Used by permission of Charlesbridge Publishing.
