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· 591 ratings · 56 reviews
Start your review of Harold at the North Pole (Harold, #4)
Nov 29, 2018
Abigail rated it
really liked it · review of another edition
Recommends it for: Harold Fans / Anyone Looking for Imaginative Christmas Stories
Having drawn himself into and out of a number of adventures with his magical purple crayon, toddler Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree in this fourth picture-book chronicling his imaginative play. Heading north into blankness, Harold draw a snowstorm and then a snowman, eventually finding himself at the North Pole, where he encounters (by drawing) Santa himself! Helping Santa out of his snowbound workshop, Harold rushes back home in order to set up his tree, and await Santa's coming...Orig
Having drawn himself into and out of a number of adventures with his magical purple crayon, toddler Harold sets out to find a Christmas tree in this fourth picture-book chronicling his imaginative play. Heading north into blankness, Harold draw a snowstorm and then a snowman, eventually finding himself at the North Pole, where he encounters (by drawing) Santa himself! Helping Santa out of his snowbound workshop, Harold rushes back home in order to set up his tree, and await Santa's coming...Originally published in 1958,
Harold at the North Pole is the fourth of Crockett Johnson's series of picture-books about a young boy and his extraordinary imaginative adventures, all drawn into existence by the boy himself. I enjoyed this holiday tale, and continue to feel that Johnson really captures the power of a child's creative process, both as an artist and storyteller, with his Harold books. So many of my own fondest memories, when it comes to my childhood play, center around the make-believe country I invented, complete with its own language - I created my own writing system for it, but have sadly lost all of my records of it - history and culture. It's good to be reminded that all a child truly needs, in order to inhabit magical worlds, is a strong imagination! ...more 
Dec 26, 2014 Patrick rated it really liked it
This isn't a bad book by any means, but it falls a little short of the other Harold books in my opinion. Not quite as charming and universally appealing as the others... This isn't a bad book by any means, but it falls a little short of the other Harold books in my opinion. Not quite as charming and universally appealing as the others... ...more
Dec 07, 2012 babyhippoface rated it really liked it
When I was little, I was kind of fascinated by the way Harold could just draw his world into existence. That rocked. I saw this book for the first time this week. The story is cute, very Christmasy, but I'm pretty sure as a child I would have said, right off the bat, "Why doesn't he just draw a Christmas tree??" at the very beginning. (Which is, I'm sure, what kids will say when I read it to them.) Still, fun for the holiday season. When I was little, I was kind of fascinated by the way Harold could just draw his world into existence. That rocked. I saw this book for the first time this week. The story is cute, very Christmasy, but I'm pretty sure as a child I would have said, right off the bat, "Why doesn't he just draw a Christmas tree??" at the very beginning. (Which is, I'm sure, what kids will say when I read it to them.) Still, fun for the holiday season. ...more
Oct 25, 2015 Sarah Adamson rated it really liked it
Not quite as fun as the others in the series but nicely related to Christmas and the holiday season. Fun adventures for Harold with his crayon. You can do anything you can imagine!
Dec 21, 2015 Vonia rated it liked it
The fantastical Purple Crayon is back and more transcendent than ever.... with a lot of holiday festive fun! Oh, how i love this childhood story, no matter how old I am. keep it coming!
Jan 06, 2017 Kim rated it it was ok
This one didn't hold Mini-Me's attention - or mine - like the original did. It's still cute to watch Harold draw, but the story felt a little flat. This one didn't hold Mini-Me's attention - or mine - like the original did. It's still cute to watch Harold draw, but the story felt a little flat. ...more
Aug 12, 2014 Min rated it it was amazing
Simply put, in my deep heart, Harold is entirely magical. The ease with which he creates his reality is so effortless it appears entirely natural. There is no questioning that what he is doing is good, right, and proper, in every way.
That very idea, building our own creation from our imagination, is the purest essence of Life.
Hidden within a children's story is the key to happiness.
______Added 3 July 2018
As I do ever so love Christmas, and Harold is the avatar of my heart, this has to be my se
Simply put, in my deep heart, Harold is entirely magical. The ease with which he creates his reality is so effortless it appears entirely natural. There is no questioning that what he is doing is good, right, and proper, in every way.
That very idea, building our own creation from our imagination, is the purest essence of Life.
Hidden within a children's story is the key to happiness.
______Added 3 July 2018
As I do ever so love Christmas, and Harold is the avatar of my heart, this has to be my second favorite book of all of his; one cannot surpass the first.
It is Christmas Eve, and Harold needs a tree. As iconic as himself, he first draws the half moon that accompanies him on his journey. Guiding his way is the Big Dipper. There was snow; enough for a snow man. Once the snow stops, he climbs the drifts to realize he is standing atop Santa's house; the chimney is there, out of which Santa appears. Helping Santa, Harold gathers the reindeer and sleigh, in perfect order, with a large bag filled with toys inside. Saying good-bye to Santa, Harold resumes the hunt for a tree, before Santa arrived. There it was, beneath the moon--looking wonderfully, situated in the best possible place between fireplace, and the big soft chair. Finally, he hung his stocking, and lay in the big soft chair--waiting for Santa.
...more Sep 16, 2014 Jourdan rated it it was ok
This book is about a little boy and his purple crayon. It is Christmas Eve and he has lots to get done before Santa comes. He starts off by making it snow. He gets carried away with this and ends up creating a blizzard. When it calms down, he figures he is at the North Pole. After a little searching for Santa's workshop, he comes to the conclusion that he might be standing on it. He worries about Santa being stuck inside so he draws a chimney. He helps Santa out and draws a sleigh and reindeer f This book is about a little boy and his purple crayon. It is Christmas Eve and he has lots to get done before Santa comes. He starts off by making it snow. He gets carried away with this and ends up creating a blizzard. When it calms down, he figures he is at the North Pole. After a little searching for Santa's workshop, he comes to the conclusion that he might be standing on it. He worries about Santa being stuck inside so he draws a chimney. He helps Santa out and draws a sleigh and reindeer for him to get around in. Now that all his work is done, it is time to get his house ready. He draws a tree, fireplace and chair where he waits for Santa to come.While reading the above summary, you may have found yourself confused or lost. That is how I felt throughout this entire story. The idea behind this book of having a child create his Christmas and save the day by rescuing Santa is adorable, but the events didn't flow well. They didn't make sense and it felt rushed. I have an imagination, but not one big enough to follow this story. This is my personal opinion and no respect to anyone, I just didn't personally connect to it. One thing I really liked about this story was the little boy. His facial expressions and actions show his innocence and curiosity. Children may be able to connect to this book based off of that, but I didn't have that same experience.
...more This book is about Harold and his adventure on Christmas eve with his magical purple crayon. He began with drawing a simple moon in the night sky. He then set out to find a christmas tree for Santa, but ended up drawing a house, sleigh, reindeers, santa, and much more. He drew his christmas tree underneath the moon and added decorations to complete the tree. He then drew a chair and waited for santa to come the next morning.
The theme in this book is imagination and whatever you dream you can ac This book is about Harold and his adventure on Christmas eve with his magical purple crayon. He began with drawing a simple moon in the night sky. He then set out to find a christmas tree for Santa, but ended up drawing a house, sleigh, reindeers, santa, and much more. He drew his christmas tree underneath the moon and added decorations to complete the tree. He then drew a chair and waited for santa to come the next morning.
The theme in this book is imagination and whatever you dream you can achieve. I would give this book a 3 star rating. I can relate to this book because as a child I had a very wild imagination and would draw absurd things and pretend my drawings were real. I would recommend this book to children who have a big imagination and who want a nice easy read but I believe it is lacking a strong theme.
...more
Nov 15, 2015 Becky rated it it was amazing
First sentence: It was Christmas Eve, and Harold had to have a Christmas tree before Santa Claus arrived. Premise/plot: It's Christmas Eve and Harold needs a Christmas tree. With his purple crayon in hand, Harold's adventure begins. He's in search of a tree, so he must draw stars and woods and SNOW. Because he was a little TOO enthusiastic about the snow, Harold finds himself at the North Pole, and, Santa is snowed in. Can Harold draw Santa out of trouble?
My thoughts: This one is so cute and cha
First sentence: It was Christmas Eve, and Harold had to have a Christmas tree before Santa Claus arrived. Premise/plot: It's Christmas Eve and Harold needs a Christmas tree. With his purple crayon in hand, Harold's adventure begins. He's in search of a tree, so he must draw stars and woods and SNOW. Because he was a little TOO enthusiastic about the snow, Harold finds himself at the North Pole, and, Santa is snowed in. Can Harold draw Santa out of trouble?
My thoughts: This one is so cute and charming. I loved the text. I loved the illustrations. I loved the scene where Harold draws the reindeer and harnesses them up to Santa's sleigh. Have you read this one? What did you think?
Text: 4.5 out of 5
Illustrations: 4.5 out of 5
Total: 9 out of 10
...more 
Jan 09, 2013 Shelli rated it really liked it
Crockett Johnson has captured the art of storytelling in its simplest and purest form. Harold books make you believe that anyone can be an author and illustrator. Magic can happen by simply picking up a crayon and enjoying a silly conversation with your little ones and seeing where the story takes you. What will your character do now? What would you do if you were him/her? The outcomes are endless!
As a long time fan of Harold and his adventures with his purple crayon, I was delighted to find this little treasure! With a copyright date of 1958 and a note that states that the story was originally published in an abbreviated format in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine, Johnson tells Harold's story of his quest to find the perfect tree on Christmas Eve. Of course, Harold's crayon takes him to the North Pole, where he is able to help Santa during a big blizzard. As a long time fan of Harold and his adventures with his purple crayon, I was delighted to find this little treasure! With a copyright date of 1958 and a note that states that the story was originally published in an abbreviated format in GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Magazine, Johnson tells Harold's story of his quest to find the perfect tree on Christmas Eve. Of course, Harold's crayon takes him to the North Pole, where he is able to help Santa during a big blizzard. ...more
Harold and his purple crayon help Santa with his Christmas Eve duties.I liked the humor woven into the decisions Harold makes as he's drawing the seasonal elements of this story, especially not being able to remember which order the reindeer go in and what their names are).
Nice seasonal read aloud for PreK-2.
Harold and his purple crayon help Santa with his Christmas Eve duties.I liked the humor woven into the decisions Harold makes as he's drawing the seasonal elements of this story, especially not being able to remember which order the reindeer go in and what their names are).
Nice seasonal read aloud for PreK-2.
...more 
I love the Harold and the Purple Crayon books. It's amazing what things he can think up to draw. I always wished that I had a magic crayon like Harold and could draw anything I wanted and it would come to life! I love the Harold and the Purple Crayon books. It's amazing what things he can think up to draw. I always wished that I had a magic crayon like Harold and could draw anything I wanted and it would come to life! ...more
Jan 15, 2016 Timothy Boyd rated it it was amazing
This was one of my favorite series of books as a young beginning reader. My imagination was a lot like Harold's I just didn't have the crayon to make things happen. If you have kids or grand-kids these are a great set of book to introduce them to the world of reading. Highly recommended. This was one of my favorite series of books as a young beginning reader. My imagination was a lot like Harold's I just didn't have the crayon to make things happen. If you have kids or grand-kids these are a great set of book to introduce them to the world of reading. Highly recommended. ...more
Nov 28, 2016 Nancy Kotkin rated it really liked it
Very Christmas-y, and traditional. As appropriate for his age, Harold believes in Santa. Not quite as magical as the other Harold books, but still a solid holiday read with a familiar character wielding his purple crayon.
Fun. Christmassy. Classic.Story: Harold is back and this time he is drawing a winter landscape, a trip to visit Santa, and back to his home to prepare for Santa's arrival.
This works as a stand alone book in addition to part of the series. Great for Christmas storytimes for all ages.
Fun. Christmassy. Classic.Story: Harold is back and this time he is drawing a winter landscape, a trip to visit Santa, and back to his home to prepare for Santa's arrival.
This works as a stand alone book in addition to part of the series. Great for Christmas storytimes for all ages.
...more 
Oct 10, 2018 Kris Dersch rated it really liked it
Sometimes holiday spinoffs don't do the originals justice. This is Harold as his delightful self but instead of searching for the moon he's looking for a Christmas tree...and getting lost in the process so he can help Santa and the reindeer get ready for their ride. Adorable. Sometimes holiday spinoffs don't do the originals justice. This is Harold as his delightful self but instead of searching for the moon he's looking for a Christmas tree...and getting lost in the process so he can help Santa and the reindeer get ready for their ride. Adorable. ...more
This is the weakest of the Harold titles, as far as I'm concerned. This is the weakest of the Harold titles, as far as I'm concerned. ...more
This book is LOcatd in the Line Box
Oh my goodness--a Harold Christmas book! Cute and fun, and imaginative as always. I also couldn't help but laugh at the stray coloring our library copy has. Oh my goodness--a Harold Christmas book! Cute and fun, and imaginative as always. I also couldn't help but laugh at the stray coloring our library copy has. ...more
Nov 14, 2010 Liz rated it it was amazing
Adorable Christmas story. My son is a huge Harold fan, and I was delighted to find there was a holiday book in the series.
A nice continuation of Harold's purple crayon adventures with a seasonal twist. By Crockett Johnson, not this ubiquitous "unknown" character! A nice continuation of Harold's purple crayon adventures with a seasonal twist. By Crockett Johnson, not this ubiquitous "unknown" character! ...more
I was unaware of this story by Crockett Johnson. It's not as good as the famous purple crayon story, and ends rather abruptly, but is still enjoyable. I was unaware of this story by Crockett Johnson. It's not as good as the famous purple crayon story, and ends rather abruptly, but is still enjoyable. ...more
Dec 04, 2013 Geri rated it liked it
Great story, easy reading for younger students.
Oct 21, 2014 Shelley rated it liked it
Yet another simple story like his famous purple crayon one...but not as cute of a story. Good for a little Christmas theme, but nothing amazing.
Oct 28, 2014 Heather rated it really liked it
We have always enjoyed the creativity of the Harold books and this one was cute and fun as part of our Christmas advent books.
I liked it when Harold put moon on top of the Christmas Tree
Crockett Johnson was the pen name of the American cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk. He is best known for the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and the Harold series of books beginning with Harold and the Purple Crayon. [From Wikipedia.] Crockett Johnson was the pen name of the American cartoonist and children's book illustrator David Johnson Leisk. He is best known for the comic strip Barnaby (1942–1952) and the Harold series of books beginning with Harold and the Purple Crayon. [From Wikipedia.] ...more
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