Description "The Black Crayon" is the story of Blacky, a crayon who is left out by his crayon friends, and it brings children both joy and deep emotion, giving them a true sense of the fun of picture books. After reading it, children often try out crayon scratch-art play just like the kind shown in the book, expressing their feelings through their own creations. The second story in the "Black Crayon" series, "The Black Crayon and the Magic Train," carries all the warmth and fun of the first book while introducing a wide variety of vehicles that children love. The vehicles are made of clay that transforms into different shapes, and playing together with the crayon friends opens up even greater imaginative possibilities. After reading this book, children will beg, "Mom, I want to play with clay too!" as they pick up their own clay and crayons. Come meet the richer, more exciting story of "The Black Crayon and the Magic Train." The Beloved "Black Crayon" Blacky, who is left out by the other children, longs to play with his crayon friends. But the other crayons refuse to play with him, afraid that his black color will ruin their pretty pictures. As the crayon friends draw and show off, competing with one another, their picture becomes an even bigger mess. That's when Blacky steps in, coloring over the messy, smudged picture with black. Then a sharp object scratches away the black to reveal a beautiful fireworks display underneath. This story helps children realize that even someone who feels left out can be truly needed, and it allows them to easily connect emotionally with the character. Through it, children experience deep emotion, enjoyment, and a valuable lesson. "The Black Crayon" is not just a touching story — its warm, friendly illustrations also give children a cozy, comforting feeling. With crayons as its familiar and beloved subject, the book's charming crayon-style artwork draws children in and captivates them completely. The book also invites children into all kinds of activities beyond reading. They can bring the crayons to life and invent brand-new stories, learn to recognize different colors, or practice counting numbers. They can try their hand at the scratch-art technique shown in the book, or draw their own pictures with crayons to create entirely new stories. These activities help boost children's imagination. Because children love "The Black Crayon" so much, they often ask their parents, "Isn't there a book about the yellow crayon?" or "Please make a book about the red crayon too!" It was this very wish from children that inspired the second story in the series: "The Black Crayon and the Magic Train." Even More Imaginative Fun: "The Black Crayon and the Magic Train" "The Black Crayon and the Magic Train" keeps all the heart and fun of the first book while delivering an even bigger dose of imagination. The most exciting new element in this book is the cast of new characters. Vehicles like a bus, a boat, a high-speed train, and a little train join the crayon friends, taking the crayon play that once happened on a flat, two-dimensional page to a whole new level. With so many of children's favorite vehicles appearing, kids get to learn about different modes of transportation and what each one needs in order to move. Best of all, these various vehicles are all transformations of a single material: clay! The clay wiggles and spins — "squish, squish, whirl!" — turning into all sorts of shapes, and then joins in the fun with the pictures the crayons have drawn. A Story Full of Magical Surprises A bored child at home wants to go outside and play. Blacky feels bored too, so he goes out to play and meets a bus. He wants to play with the bus, but the bus tells him it needs a road to run on. So Blacky draws a road in black, and the bus happily drives along it all day long. The next day, Blacky goes looking for the bus again, and this time he finds a boat. He wants to play with the boat, but the boat needs the sea in order to sail. So Blacky draws the sea in black, and the boat sails across it. The following day, as Blacky heads out to play once more, his other crayon friends decide to tag along too...