The Chalk Box Kid

Illustrated by Thomas B. Allen

A classroom favorite about the power of art and creativity.
 
A new neighborhood. A new school. A lonely birthday. Life isn’t easy for nine-year-old Gregory. Then he finds an abandoned chalk factory behind his house. It’s a secret place, just for him! Now he can draw anything he imagines on the dark brick walls. What amazing thing will Gregory draw first?
 
Two beloved classics—The Chalk Box Kid and The Paint Brush Kid—get a vibrant new look!

  • WINNER | 1989
    Kansas William Allen White Children's Book Award
Clyde Robert Bulla (1914–2007) was born on a farm near King City, Missouri. He went to a one-room country school. Reading and writing were his favorite subjects, and by the time he was seven, Bulla knew he wanted to be a writer. After years of writing magazine stories and novels and working on his hometown newspaper, he found that he really wanted to write for children. More than 70 of his books for boys and girls have been published. View titles by Clyde Robert Bulla
Thomas B. Allen (1928–2004) was an American expressionist painter and illustrator known for his role in the rise of visual journalism in the 1950s and 1960s. Later in his career, he began illustrating children’s books such as The Chalk Box KidIn Coal Country, and Grandma’s General Store: The Ark. View titles by Thomas B. Allen

About

A classroom favorite about the power of art and creativity.
 
A new neighborhood. A new school. A lonely birthday. Life isn’t easy for nine-year-old Gregory. Then he finds an abandoned chalk factory behind his house. It’s a secret place, just for him! Now he can draw anything he imagines on the dark brick walls. What amazing thing will Gregory draw first?
 
Two beloved classics—The Chalk Box Kid and The Paint Brush Kid—get a vibrant new look!

Awards

  • WINNER | 1989
    Kansas William Allen White Children's Book Award

Author

Clyde Robert Bulla (1914–2007) was born on a farm near King City, Missouri. He went to a one-room country school. Reading and writing were his favorite subjects, and by the time he was seven, Bulla knew he wanted to be a writer. After years of writing magazine stories and novels and working on his hometown newspaper, he found that he really wanted to write for children. More than 70 of his books for boys and girls have been published. View titles by Clyde Robert Bulla
Thomas B. Allen (1928–2004) was an American expressionist painter and illustrator known for his role in the rise of visual journalism in the 1950s and 1960s. Later in his career, he began illustrating children’s books such as The Chalk Box KidIn Coal Country, and Grandma’s General Store: The Ark. View titles by Thomas B. Allen

Books for Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month

Penguin Random House Education is proud to celebrate Latinx & Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs annually from September 15th through October 15th.  We are highlighting the works of our authors and illustrators from the Latinx and Hispanic community, whose stories and characters have a profound impact on our society. Here is a collection of titles

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