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See the Crayons books by Drew Daywalt in order, with short summaries, holiday tie-ins, board books, series background, reading tips, and where to start.

Last updated: July 1, 2026

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Crayons books in publication order

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20 books

1

The Day the Crayons Quit

by Drew Daywalt

2013

Duncan opens his crayon box and finds a stack of complaint letters instead of colors. Each crayon wants something different, so he has to come up with one creative drawing that keeps the whole box happy.

2

The Day the Crayons Came Home

by Drew Daywalt

2015

Duncan starts getting postcards from lost, broken, and forgotten crayons scattered in strange places. They all want rescue, sympathy, and a proper trip home to the crayon box.

3

The Crayons' Book of Colors

by Drew Daywalt

2016

It is Duncan's birthday, and every crayon wants to help make the card. Their squabbles and favorite subjects turn a simple concept book into a funny lesson about colors.

4

The Crayons' Book of Numbers

by Drew Daywalt

2016

Duncan's crayons are missing again, and young readers count them as the search grows. The familiar cast turns a first numbers book into a small joke-filled mystery.

5

Love from the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2019

The crayons explain love in their own bright, slightly bossy way. This slim gift book pairs color jokes with sweet observations about warmth, friendship, and caring.

6

The Crayons' Christmas

by Drew Daywalt

2019

Duncan and the crayons celebrate Christmas through letters, games, ornaments, and a pop-up tree. It is a playful holiday book that leans into giving, decorating, and the usual crayon drama.

7

The Crayons' Book of Feelings

by Drew Daywalt

2021

The crayons prove they do more than color. Through simple examples of happy, sad, and everything between, they help young readers name big feelings with humor.

8

Green Is for Christmas

by Drew Daywalt

2022

Green insists Christmas belongs to him, but the other crayons disagree fast. The result is a funny reminder that holiday magic takes more than one color.

9

The Crayons Trick or Treat

by Drew Daywalt

2022

The crayons are ready for Halloween, except they do not know what to say at the door. Purple Crayon steps in with the right magic words, and chaos follows.

10

Happy Easter from the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2023

The crayons decorate one giant Easter egg and then have to decide where to hide it. It is a small holiday story full of shape jokes, teamwork, and Blue Crayon's big ideas.

11

The Crayons Go Back to School

by Drew Daywalt

2023

The crayons gear up for school, and each one has a favorite subject. Between new friends and art class excitement, back-to-school nerves stay light, colorful, and funny.

12

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2024

Green wants a break, but St. Patrick's Day keeps pulling him back to work. The other crayons try to help, with predictably colorful results.

13

The Crayons Give Thanks

by Drew Daywalt

2024

The crayons take turns noticing what they are grateful for, from everyday objects to family. It is a warm, compact Thanksgiving read that works any time gratitude is the point.

14

The Crayons Love Our Planet

by Drew Daywalt

2024

The crayons celebrate Earth by pointing out what each color brings to the world, from oceans to soil to wheat. It is a quick, cheerful reminder that every part matters.

15

Goodnight, Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2025

The crayons are ready for bed, sort of. Each one needs its own bedtime comfort, turning lights-out into a cozy, comic routine.

16

Happy Mother's Day from the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2025

The crayons celebrate moms and mother figures in all kinds of families. Each small tribute mixes the series' color jokes with a warm, inclusive holiday message.

17

The Day the Crayons Made Friends

by Drew Daywalt

2025

Duncan's crayons leave the box and start meeting the objects around his room. Their letters home turn toys and household clutter into a fresh round of funny new friendships.

18
New

Bath Time for the Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2026

The crayons make a whole event out of getting clean, with very different bath habits and opinions. It turns an everyday routine into splashy, very dry humor.

19
New

Good Morning, Crayons

by Drew Daywalt

2026

Some crayons leap out of bed and others drag their feet, but school is waiting. This short story brings morning routines to life with the usual color-coded personality clashes.

20
New

The Crayons' Book of Manners

by Drew Daywalt

2026

The crayons try to learn politeness, with mixed results. Please, thank you, table manners, and even burps become chances for quick jokes and gentle lessons.

Crayons books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Day the Crayons Quit"

    The Day the Crayons Quit

    by Drew Daywalt

    2013Crayons, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Day the Crayons Came Home"

    The Day the Crayons Came Home

    by Drew Daywalt

    2015Crayons, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Crayons' Book of Colors"

    The Crayons' Book of Colors

    by Drew Daywalt

    2016Crayons, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Crayons' Book of Numbers"

    The Crayons' Book of Numbers

    by Drew Daywalt

    2016Crayons, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "The Crayons' Christmas"

    The Crayons' Christmas

    by Drew Daywalt

    2019Crayons, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Love from the Crayons"

    Love from the Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2019Crayons, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "The Crayons' Book of Feelings"

    The Crayons' Book of Feelings

    by Drew Daywalt

    2021Crayons, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "The Crayons Trick or Treat"

    The Crayons Trick or Treat

    by Drew Daywalt

    2022Crayons, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Green Is for Christmas"

    Green Is for Christmas

    by Drew Daywalt

    2022Crayons, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Happy Easter from the Crayons"

    Happy Easter from the Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2023Crayons, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Crayons Go Back to School"

    The Crayons Go Back to School

    by Drew Daywalt

    2023Crayons, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Crayons"

    Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2024Crayons, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "The Crayons Love Our Planet"

    The Crayons Love Our Planet

    by Drew Daywalt

    2024Crayons, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "The Crayons Give Thanks"

    The Crayons Give Thanks

    by Drew Daywalt

    2024Crayons, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Happy Mother's Day from the Crayons"

    Happy Mother's Day from the Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2025Crayons, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "The Day the Crayons Made Friends"

    The Day the Crayons Made Friends

    by Drew Daywalt

    2025Crayons, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Goodnight, Crayons"

    Goodnight, Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2025Crayons, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Bath Time for the Crayons"

    Bath Time for the Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2026Crayons, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "The Crayons' Book of Manners"

    The Crayons' Book of Manners

    by Drew Daywalt

    2026Crayons, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Good Morning, Crayons"

    Good Morning, Crayons

    by Drew Daywalt

    2026Crayons, Book 20

Series background & context

The Crayons series begins with a simple, perfect idea: what if Duncan's crayons could talk back? In The Day the Crayons Quit, they do exactly that, sending letters that complain about being overworked, ignored, peeled, or used for the wrong things. Red is exhausted, Pink feels left out, Peach feels exposed, and Yellow and Orange are still arguing about the sun. The joke lands quickly, but the series works because each crayon feels like a real little personality.

Every crayon has an opinion.

That mix of humor and feeling is what carries the books. The setting is ordinary, a classroom, a bedroom, a box of school supplies, but Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers make that small world feel huge. A dried-out crayon or a stubby blue one is not just a tool here. It is a character with pride, grievances, and a very specific job description. Kids get the silliness right away, and adults usually recognize the sharper joke underneath, which is that everyone wants to be noticed and treated fairly.

The first sequel, The Day the Crayons Came Home, widens the world without losing the original setup. Instead of letters from the box, Duncan gets postcards from lost and battered crayons scattered around the house and beyond. A crayon stuck in the couch, one tangled up in the laundry, another feeling unwanted, each has a complaint and a story. Later, The Day the Crayons Made Friends pushes things even farther by sending the crayons out into Duncan's room, where they begin meeting toys and other everyday objects.

The series also branched into smaller books for younger readers, and that has turned out to be a good fit. Titles like The Crayons' Book of Colors, The Crayons' Book of Numbers, and The Crayons' Book of Feelings keep the same bickering, emotional cast but use them to introduce early concepts. The holiday and routine-themed books, like Love from the Crayons, The Crayons Trick or Treat, Green Is for Christmas, The Crayons Go Back to School, Goodnight, Crayons, and Bath Time for the Crayons, do something similar. They are short, giftable, and built around the idea that even a very small occasion can become a drama if the crayons are involved.

It is a funny little universe.

What ties the whole series together is tone. These books are bright, chatty, and easy to read aloud, but they are never just noise. Under the jokes, the Crayons books keep circling back to fairness, friendship, self-expression, and the odd emotions tied to everyday things. They ask kids to imagine how the world looks from somebody else's spot in the box. That is probably why the books have lasted. They are goofy, yes, but they are also generous.

If you are new to the series, the full-sized picture books are the best place to start because they introduce Duncan and the strongest personalities. After that, the board books and mini hardcovers feel like extra time with a cast you already know. However you read them, the appeal stays the same. Ordinary crayons, very strong feelings, and a lot to say.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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