New Book InCrayonsSeries Offers ‘A Peek Into the Toy Chest of My Childhood Heart,’ Says Author (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Jen Daywalt; Philomel Books; Yasmina Cowan

Philomel Books

Daywalt and Jeffers’ previous books in theCrayonsseries, includingThe Day the Crayons Quit(2013) andThe Day the Crayons Came Home(2015), spent 400 weeks on theNew York Timesbestsellers list, per a statement shared with PEOPLE. The latest edition to the series is one that holds a special meaning for both the author and illustrator.

“The Day the Crayons Made Friendsis a peek into the toy chest of my childhood heart, and I think when readers look inside, they’ll see that all of our childhood hearts are very much the same,” says Daywalt in a statement.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“We all need to make friends, and it seems the colorful sticks of wax in our kids’ art boxes are no exception,” adds Jeffers. “Personally, I wish I’d got an invite to the dinner party they all threw.”

Jen Daywalt; Yasmina Cowan

TheCrayonsbooks have received accolades such as the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award and the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Picture Book of the Year.

“Philomel is so grateful to work with Drew and Oliver on the continuation of the Crayons’ adventures,” says VP and Publisher of Philomel Jill Santopolo in a statement. “The Day the Crayons Made Friendsis delightfully funny, with a lovely underlying message that friends are everywhere we look for them. Kids — and adults — will be laughing along with the crayons on every page. After more than a decade, the crayons are still as beloved as ever and we can’t wait to have this book out in the world.”

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!The Day the Crayons Made Friendswill be published on June 3, 2025 and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.

source: people.com