Drew Daywalt, author of New York Times bestseller “The Day the Crayons Quit” and its sequel “The Day the Crayons Came Home”, released Aug. 18, is making a special appearance at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s (LACMA) Andell Family Sunday program on Aug. 23. Capitalizing on the book’s theme that every crayon counts, the event will feature a gently-used crayon drive hosted by local non-profit, the Crayon Collection, as well as activities for kids and families.

(photo courtesy of Crayon Collection)

Twenty-two billion crayons are thrown away each year in the United States. The Crayon Collection uses the process of repurposing gently used crayons as a tool for teaching young children the benefits of recycling, reusing and reducing waste, and sharing with others less fortunate. Together with Penguin Young Readers, they have set up community crayon collection initiatives with more than 500 retailers. All crayons collected are donated to Title 1 schools in the United States.

With more than 1.8 million copies in print, “The Day the Crayons Quit” has spent over two years on the New York Times bestseller list. Universal Pictures recently announced its acquisition of the film rights, with Madhouse Entertainment to produce and Matt Lopez to write the script.

Daywalt’s reading is from 1:30-2:30 pm.  The event will be held in LACMA’s Hammer Building, Boone Children’s Gallery, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., and is free and open to the public.