This month I’m writing about why I still read aloud to my kids now that they’re old enough to read to themselves. Another question you may be asking yourselves is why I still buy picture books when my kids are old enough to read chapter books. The answer: Sometimes I just can’t resist.

The Day the Crayons Quit (and its equally captivating sequel The Day the Crayons Came Home) written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Oliver Jeffers are two such irresistible books.

As a kid, I always imagined that the inanimate objects in my life had thoughts and feelings. My teddy bear, my pogo stick, the piece of French toast on my plate at breakfast. So I LOVE the idea of crayons with personality!

In The Day the Crayons Quit, Duncan finds a stack of letters. They’re from the crayons in his school crayon box. From overworked red to underused pink to naked peach, each crayon has a grievance. If Duncan wants to color, he’ll have to come up with a creative solution.

In The Day the Crayons Came Home, Duncan receives a stack of postcards. They’re from all the crayons he’s lost—including maroon marooned in the couch, glow-in-the-dark abandoned in the basement, turquoise left in his pocket, and neon red forgotten by the hotel pool. It’s up to Duncan to give them all a home.

These books are clever and funny. They also give parents a great way to talk to kids about other people’s feelings and points of view. And they make you want to write a letter or color a picture or both. Larrabee and I give them five stars!