from T’s Encyclopedia

I opened a box of Crayola Crayons. 

I looked inside and saw all the beautiful colors.

I saw the colors of the rainbow.

I saw the colors of all of the people of the world!

There were 128 colors in the box.

This, my friends, astonished me.

As I gazed at all of those amazing colors, a surprising thing happened.

The box of crayons spoke to me!

"Excuse me," it inquired, "What is your favorite color?"

"Yellow,” I answered.

Ibsmiled in wonder at the friendly box of crayons. 

"Thank you for asking."

My mom taught me to show good manners, even to a box of crayons.

The box of crayons smiled back at me.

"Why is yellow your favorite color?" it asked simply.

"Well,” I said to my inquisitive friend, “That is a great question.

You’re the first to ever ask me why my favorite color is yellow.”

"Colors are my life," said my humble friend.

"Yellow’s my favorite color,” I began, “Because it’s the color of the early morning sun as it rises over the hills of Africa where I lived. 

It warms me. 

Yellow’s the color in Vincent Van Gogh's paintings. 

It inspires me. 

Yellow is the color of my grandpa's freshly shucked corn. 

It comforts me. 

When I hold a baby and kiss her softly on the cheek, I feel yellow. 

When I read to a child, I feel yellow. 

When I share with others, I feel yellow. 

That’s why yellow’s my favorite color," I said.

"Please, take my yellow, then,” said my wise, colorful friend.

Hold hands with people who like red and blue and green and orange and purple and all of the other colors inside of me.

Go out together with them and color the world beautiful.”

I accepted the yellow crayon.

I gently closed the lid of my newfound friend.

I went out with color in my hands and in my heart to color the world.

- trevor scott barton, stories for a brown-eyed girl, 2021