The Crayon Man Reading Guide & Activities | Ages 12 Months–8 Years

Turn storytime into an opportunity to read together, create together, and grow together with this printable companion guide for The Crayon Man, written by Natascha Biebow and illustrated by Steven Salerno.

Designed for children ages 12 months through 8 years, this guide helps you explore the story at your child’s developmental level—without turning reading time into a lesson or quiz. Start by simply enjoying the book together. Then, return to the story whenever you are ready to discover how Edwin Binney helped create Crayola crayons through engaging questions, historical connections, and colorful directed-drawing activities. 

Inside this 21-page guide, you’ll find:

• During Reading Tips for adjusting the longer nonfiction text to your child’s age and attention span
• Age-appropriate After Reading Questions for:
• 12–18 months
• 18–24 months
• Ages 2–4
• Ages 5–8
• Guidance showing where to ask each question, which skill it supports, and how it helps your child learn
• Four step-by-step directed drawings
• Written directions paired with visual examples for each stage of the drawings
• Opportunities to build vocabulary, color recognition, counting, print awareness, sequencing, creativity, historical understanding, inferencing, and perseverance

About the activities

Children can choose from four directed drawings and use crayons to create them.

For each option, the adult reads and models one direction at a time while the child follows along. The drawings begin with familiar shapes, numbers, or letters and gradually build into a complete, colorful animal. Younger children can create one picture alongside an adult, while older children may be ready to follow more of the directions independently.

These activities connect naturally to the story’s celebration of crayons while supporting listening, following directions, spatial awareness, fine-motor development, confidence, and creative expression.

The goal is not to make every drawing look the same—it is to enjoy creating, experimenting with color, and watching a picture come together one step at a time.

This guide is a good fit for families who want to:

• Introduce children to the history of a familiar art supply
• Explore invention, experimentation, and perseverance
• Adjust a longer nonfiction picture book for different ages
• Build color, vocabulary, counting, and comprehension skills
• Practice sequencing and following multi-step directions
• Encourage creativity and confidence through drawing
• Enjoy several low-prep activities using only paper and crayons

Please note

This is a digital PDF download. No physical book, printed guide, or art supplies will be mailed.

You will need access to a copy of The Crayon Man by Natascha Biebow to use the reading portions of this guide. The book may be borrowed from your local library or purchased separately.

Recommended ages: 12 months–8 years

Format: Printable digital PDF

Length: 21 pages

Included activities: 4 Directed Drawings