Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby

Guest: Drew Daywalt, author of Goodnight, Crayons
Host: Zibby Owens
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features a lively and heartfelt conversation between Zibby Owens and Drew Daywalt, bestselling author most famous for The Day the Crayons Quit and its sequels. They discuss the storytelling magic behind the beloved Crayons series, Drew’s unexpected career pivot from Hollywood to children’s literature, the enduring appeal of giving voice to the voiceless, and the future of the Crayons universe—including insights into upcoming projects and the much-anticipated film adaptation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Origin Story of the Crayons Series

• Drew’s Early Hollywood Career and Setback
  • Drew recounts how a failed directorial debut (Stark Raving Mad, 2002) led him to children’s books.
  • He describes the pressure and confusion of having “a lot of cooks in the kitchen,” and how that Hollywood experience was both fun and, ultimately, deflating.
    • “It was like, it was a garlic soup and it was. Then we threw in some hot fudge and some ketchup and some mayo and a cantaloupe…” (06:12, Drew Daywalt)
• Influence of Mentor Jack Gantos
  • Jack Gantos, Drew’s college professor, told him he might not be a Quentin Tarantino, but “maybe you’re Roald Dahl,” sparking Drew’s children’s publishing ambitions. (08:25)
• The Magical Box of Crayons
  • The real-life box of childhood crayons, kept over decades, became both inspiration and emotional anchor for his first children’s book.
    • “I dumped the crayons out on the desk that night—and they looked exactly like they do in the book.” (09:20, Drew Daywalt)

2. Fate, Failure, and Finding Purpose

• From Hollywood Letdown to Children’s Lit Triumph
  • Drew describes his journey as “getting sideswiped and knocked out of the lane, but into another lane and then won that race.” (13:52)
• Powerful Full-Circle Moment
  • Years after his professor’s advice, Drew receives a congratulatory “told you so” call from Jack Gantos when his book hits #1 on the NYT list. (12:36)
• On Fate and the Universe
  • Drew shares his evolving views on destiny and coincidence.
    • “I do not. I believe in fate. I think the universe is woo woo, that’s what I’m learning.” (11:24, Drew Daywalt)

3. Why the Crayons Books Resonate

• Empathy and Voice for the Voiceless
  • Drew was youngest in a large family, often feeling “squelched.” This inspired him to create books that “give voice to the voiceless”—hence, the talking crayons.
    • “You’re giving voice to the voiceless.” (16:19, Drew Daywalt, quoting an editor)
    • “I felt squelched a little… so I think that must have obviously stuck in my craw somewhere.” (16:38, Drew Daywalt)
• Universal, Accessible Kid Experience
  • He strives for accessibility—“I want kids to have access immediately to almost everything I write about: like rock, paper, scissors—you can throw that down anywhere; crayons, you can probably get your hands on crayons, no matter where you are.” (18:11, Drew Daywalt)

4. The Responsibility and Joy of Being an Influential Children’s Author

• On Making Kids Laugh & Sneaking in Empathy
  • Drew intentionally focuses on escapism—“the happy place”—and sees humor as the best gift he can give young readers. (22:02)
    • “Sometimes the lesson is: let’s just let them laugh.” (22:30, Drew Daywalt)
• Reading and Literacy Advocacy
  • Drew voices concern over declining reading rates in middle grade readers, noting how shorter, highly illustrated books can be vital “gateway drugs” for literacy.
    • “Middle grades really in trouble. Kids aren’t reading enough—down 80% since the 80s.” (22:55, Drew Daywalt)
    • “If I can get the kids interested in laughing…they go, wait a minute, I think I like books.” (25:30, Drew Daywalt)

5. Parenting, Devices, and Hope for Future Readers

• Drew shares his approach to screens at home—he was stricter about social media than device usage, and his son reads a novel a week.
• “They picked up books because…Dad’s not gonna, you know, let us on social media.” (24:38, Drew Daywalt)
• There’s hope: “Some kids are reading…and then they’re gonna write.” (25:22, Drew Daywalt)

6. What’s Next for the Crayons

• New Books and Expanding the Universe
  • Upcoming titles include “Happy Birthday Crayons” (“coming in 2027”) and “The Crayons’ Book of Manners.”
    • Drew insisted on personally writing all spin-offs, for the sake of character authenticity and to further develop the ‘crayons universe.’
      (27:14-27:44)
• Halloween Nostalgia
  • Zibby reminisces about being a yellow crayon for Halloween; Drew was C-3PO the same year. (27:51-28:08)

7. The Journey to a Crayons Movie

• Hollywood Backstage Insights
  • Rights sold a decade ago; Universal held them, then Sony Animation picked them up.
  • Drew’s Hollywood wariness: “I don’t want to get fired off of this job…that would be the most heartbreaking thing.” (28:24-29:59)
  • Shawn Levy (Stranger Things, Night at the Museum) now producing; the project is advancing at Sony Animation with top-tier teams.
    • “The team that did Into the Spider-Verse are on this, so they’re top notch.” (30:19, Drew Daywalt)
• Evergreen Appeal
  • “The first generation to read it are now 20… I’m hoping that it’s evergreen and everybody still has crayons.” (31:44, Drew Daywalt)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On tapping into childhood nostalgia and empathy:

“I feel like millions of tiny little hands caught me. And that was the kids. And they were like, well, we’ll take you. We’ll do this. And I haven’t looked back.”
— Drew Daywalt, 09:34

On his most memorable school author visit:

“He kissed me on the cheek. And he says, ‘I love you, Mr. Daywalt. I’m glad you decided to be a writer.’ I’m like, I’m done, I’m done. I’m in. You know, I never… No one in Hollywood ever did that.”
— Drew Daywalt, 15:22

On fate and reinvention:

“I got sort of sideswiped and knocked out of the lane, but into another lane and then won that race, you know what I mean?”
— Drew Daywalt, 13:52

On the film industry:

“When you’re a screenwriter, you’re like a ronin or a mercenary. You come in and do your pass and you get fired…you don’t get that sense of fulfillment.”
— Drew Daywalt, 29:44

On wanting to reach all children:

“I want the things I do to be very sort of democratic and accessible to the children.”
— Drew Daywalt, 18:19

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:24] – How the Crayons series was born (the failed Hollywood film and childhood box of crayons)
• [09:43] – Keeping the actual box of crayons: personal and magical significance
• [12:36] – The congratulatory “told you so” call from Jack Gantos after NYT bestseller debut
• [15:22] – Transformative moment with a child at an author school visit
• [16:19] – “Voice to the voiceless”: the heart of Drew’s stories
• [22:02] – The joy and responsibility of entertaining kids and promoting literacy
• [27:14] – Writing spin-offs: “building out the universe” and making sure Drew authors them
• [28:24] – The path to the Crayons movie and Drew’s unique role as creator
• [31:44] – Hopes for the Crayons’ “evergreen” legacy and generational impact

Closing Thoughts

Zibby wraps with gratitude for Drew’s storytelling and the joy he’s brought to countless families—“just so nice to peer behind the curtain and hear how it all happened.”

Drew's journey is a testament to creative resilience, the power of childhood keepsakes, and the enduring magic of letting characters—and crayons—speak for themselves.