Book excerpt: Owen Orange discovers that he's disliked by the owner of his crayon box, so he is never selected to help make beautiful pictures. Because he is relegated to life lived only in his crayon box house, he is unable to join in on the fun coloring activities going on in the classroom. Even though his color friends describe the classroom, the lovely pictures, the teacher, and the children for him, it's just not the same as seeing them for himself. One day, though, he meets Madeline, and he discovers that he is just as special as all the other crayons in his box.