The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon (Omnibus) by Crockett Johnson

The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon (Omnibus) by Crockett Johnson

From the New York Times bestselling author comes an addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves--a chilling and thoughtful tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.

Revenge doesn't wait for permission.

Growing up poor in rural Georgia, Bree Cabbat's single mother warned her that the world was a dark and scary place. Bree rejected her mother's fearful outlook, and life has proved her right. Marrying into a family with wealth, power, and connections, Bree has all a woman could ever dream: a loving lawyer husband, two talented young teenage daughters, a new baby boy, a gorgeous home, and every opportunity in the world.

Until the day Bree awakens and sees a witch peering into her bedroom window, an old gray-haired woman all dressed in black who vanishes as quickly as she appears. It must be a play of the early morning light or the remnant of a waking dream, Bree tells herself, shaking off the bad feeling that overcomes her.

Later that day though, she spies the old woman again, in the parking lot of her daughters' private school . just minutes before Bree's baby son, asleep on the seat beside her, vanishes. It happened so quickly--Bree only looked away for a second. A note warns no police. No deviations. And she is being watched.

The mysterious woman makes contact, and Bree learns she, too, is a mother. Why would another mother do this? What does she want? And why has she targeted Bree? Of course Bree will pay anything, do anything. It's her child.

To get her baby back, Bree must complete one small--but critical--task. It seems harmless enough, but her action comes with a devastating price, making her complicit in a tangled web of tragedy and shocking secrets that will destroy everything she loves. It is the beginning of an odyssey that will lead Bree to dangerous places, explosive confrontations, and chilling truths.

Bree will do whatever it takes to protect her family--but what if the cost tears their world apart?

Crockett Johnson (1906-1975) began his artistic career as a political cartoonist. He then became a comic strip artist, creating the comic strip Who (1952), Johnson wrote and illustrated over 20 books for children, providing illustrations (but not the story) for seven more (beginning with This Rich World in 1943 and The Carrot Seed in 1945). Harold, the protagonist of his best known series, began his many journeys in Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955), which was followed by Harold (1956), Harold (1957), Harold at the North Pole (1958), Harold (1959), A Picture for Harold(1960), and Harold (1963).