From Wax to Crayon (Start to Finish)

By: Robin Nelson
Publisher: Lerner Publications
Publication Date: January 2013
ISBN: 978-0822546603
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: March 2013

Almost everyone has used crayons, but just how do they get made? At a factory workers take wax and put it in tanks to heat. Once the wax melts it turns “into a gooey liquid.” You can see pipes all through the factory. They “carry the wax into many pots called vats.” Once the liquid is in there you can see a worker as he adds color or “pigment” into the vat. After the color is added, you can see another worker pouring red wax into a mold. The mold has holes in it that are shaped like crayons.

Underneath these molds “cold water flows,” cooling the wax so that it will become hard. Piles and piles of crayons are then ready for workers to look at and see if any are damaged. If they are, back they go to be melted again. There is a special machine that “wraps the crayons,” putting on a label. You will also learn how the crayons are sorted into sets, you’ll see how a machine boxes them, you’ll learn how they get to the stores, and you’ll see children as they use their crayons.

This is a fascinating look at how wax is made into crayons that the young reader will enjoy. Newly independent readers will be able to read this book with a bit of assistance. More difficult words such as “pigment” are highlighted in the text and defined in the glossary. There are full-color, full-page photographs illustrating the concept discussed on the adjoining page. In the back of the book is an index and a glossary. There are free complementary downloadable educational resources on the publisher’s website. This is an excellent read and discuss book for circle or story time in the homeschool or classroom setting.

Quill says: The Start to Finish series are excellent books that young students can learn about Nature's Cycles, Food, and Everyday Products.