Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon: The Graphic Novel

Part of Amber Brown

Illustrated by Victoria Ying
Look inside
Hardcover
$19.99 US
5.94"W x 8.56"H x 0.51"D  
On sale May 21, 2024 | 112 Pages | 9780593615690
Grades 2-5
Reading Level: Lexile GN690L | Fountas & Pinnell P
FOC Apr 22, 2024 | Catalog March 2024
Even when her best friend is moving away, Amber Brown is always bold, bright, and colorful. And now she's in a graphic novel!

Third graders Amber Brown and Justin Daniels have been best friends since the day they first met in preschool. How great of a team are they? Amber helps Justin with his handwriting, and Justin helps Amber with her fractions. They sit next to each other in class and hang out together after school every day—that’s just how it’s always been.

But when Justin finds out his family is moving away, everything starts to feel different. Amber gets sad whenever she thinks about Justin leaving, and Justin seems overwhelmed by all the change to come. Can the two besties figure out a way to say goodbye that will keep their friendship strong, no matter how far apart they are?

This graphic novel adaptation of Paula Danziger's classic chapter book adds layers of nuance to all of Amber's ups and downs, making her story burst from the page even more than before.
© Sigrid Estrada
Paula Danziger grew up wanting to be an author . . . and then she became one.  She wrote over 25 books, traveled to more than 15 countries, and was the kind of colorful character you might find in one of her books. She loved to play, make new friends, and wear purple clothes and nail polish. Sadly, Paula Danziger passed away on July 8, 2004. Amber Brown—and the rest of her book characters—will continue to live on. View titles by Paula Danziger
© Lauren Justice
Raised in California, Victoria Ying is an author and illustrator of beloved children's books. She realized that she had a true eye for detail when she fell in loves with comic books when she was a teenager. This interest in comics led her to a successful career in animation. Her credits include Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, Paperman, Big Hero 6, and Moana. View titles by Victoria Ying
★ “The humor from the original novel is left intact. . . Amber Brown is most definitely not a crayon—as she tells classmates who tease her about her name—but her world tends to assume a stylized palette that sets the tone of each scene. . . A faithfully executed adaptation worth visiting for new and returning readers.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A charming reimagining of Paula Danziger’s original. . . Ying’s warm, expressive illustrations do a great job of imbuing the characters with emotion, and Amber’s iconic pigtails take on a life of their own in each panel. . . Highly recommended for younger fans of ‘The Baby-Sitter’s Club’ graphic novel series.” School Library Journal

“Amber is a spirited, quirky, and charmingly relatable character, and Victoria Ying’s illustrations have brought those characteristics to life on every page, enhancing Paula Danziger’s signature humor. Paula would love this.” —Ann M. Martin, author of the Babysitters Club series
 
“No one is cuter, funnier and more trouble than Amber Brown in this graphic novel. I love her.” —Francine Pascal, author of the Sweet Valley Twins series 
 
“Funny and engaging, Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon is a charming take on a classic.” —Terri Libenson, creator of the NYT bestselling Emmie & Friends series
 
“Paula Danziger’s irrepressible, charming, hilarious and very messy third grader bursts with life in Victoria Ying’s winning and wonderful graphic novel adaptation.” —Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret
 

Praise for the original Amber Brown Is not a Crayon:
"Danziger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade live, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine." —School Library Journal, starred review

“Danziger [has] a pitch-perfect view of a child’s emotions.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This heroine’s perky, first-person narrative allows readers to make her acquaintance immediately—and effortlessly.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

About

Even when her best friend is moving away, Amber Brown is always bold, bright, and colorful. And now she's in a graphic novel!

Third graders Amber Brown and Justin Daniels have been best friends since the day they first met in preschool. How great of a team are they? Amber helps Justin with his handwriting, and Justin helps Amber with her fractions. They sit next to each other in class and hang out together after school every day—that’s just how it’s always been.

But when Justin finds out his family is moving away, everything starts to feel different. Amber gets sad whenever she thinks about Justin leaving, and Justin seems overwhelmed by all the change to come. Can the two besties figure out a way to say goodbye that will keep their friendship strong, no matter how far apart they are?

This graphic novel adaptation of Paula Danziger's classic chapter book adds layers of nuance to all of Amber's ups and downs, making her story burst from the page even more than before.

Author

© Sigrid Estrada
Paula Danziger grew up wanting to be an author . . . and then she became one.  She wrote over 25 books, traveled to more than 15 countries, and was the kind of colorful character you might find in one of her books. She loved to play, make new friends, and wear purple clothes and nail polish. Sadly, Paula Danziger passed away on July 8, 2004. Amber Brown—and the rest of her book characters—will continue to live on. View titles by Paula Danziger
© Lauren Justice
Raised in California, Victoria Ying is an author and illustrator of beloved children's books. She realized that she had a true eye for detail when she fell in loves with comic books when she was a teenager. This interest in comics led her to a successful career in animation. Her credits include Tangled, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen, Paperman, Big Hero 6, and Moana. View titles by Victoria Ying

Praise

★ “The humor from the original novel is left intact. . . Amber Brown is most definitely not a crayon—as she tells classmates who tease her about her name—but her world tends to assume a stylized palette that sets the tone of each scene. . . A faithfully executed adaptation worth visiting for new and returning readers.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A charming reimagining of Paula Danziger’s original. . . Ying’s warm, expressive illustrations do a great job of imbuing the characters with emotion, and Amber’s iconic pigtails take on a life of their own in each panel. . . Highly recommended for younger fans of ‘The Baby-Sitter’s Club’ graphic novel series.” School Library Journal

“Amber is a spirited, quirky, and charmingly relatable character, and Victoria Ying’s illustrations have brought those characteristics to life on every page, enhancing Paula Danziger’s signature humor. Paula would love this.” —Ann M. Martin, author of the Babysitters Club series
 
“No one is cuter, funnier and more trouble than Amber Brown in this graphic novel. I love her.” —Francine Pascal, author of the Sweet Valley Twins series 
 
“Funny and engaging, Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon is a charming take on a classic.” —Terri Libenson, creator of the NYT bestselling Emmie & Friends series
 
“Paula Danziger’s irrepressible, charming, hilarious and very messy third grader bursts with life in Victoria Ying’s winning and wonderful graphic novel adaptation.” —Brian Selznick, Caldecott Medal-winning author/illustrator of The Invention of Hugo Cabret
 

Praise for the original Amber Brown Is not a Crayon:
"Danziger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade live, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine." —School Library Journal, starred review

“Danziger [has] a pitch-perfect view of a child’s emotions.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This heroine’s perky, first-person narrative allows readers to make her acquaintance immediately—and effortlessly.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Photos

additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo
additional book photo

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more