Pencil
by Hye-Eun Kim; illus. by the author
Primary    TOON    48 pp.
3/25    9781662665530    $18.99

This wordless picture book creatively and thoughtfully explores the life cycle of a pencil from tree to drawing implement. The story starts on a blank page with a pencil being sharpened. As the pages turn, the shavings morph into leaves, which sprout into an elaborate forest appropriately rendered with colored pencils and markers in bright colors and intricate lines. Readers looking closely will be able to find a range of birds and other forest animals hidden among the trees. Dramatic page layouts on stark white backgrounds heighten the tension when the trees are cut down, expelling the birds from their homes. Color also plays an important role in the story’s unfolding as the vivid colors of the logs from the forest overtake the leaden shades of black, white, and gray of the city and factory, where the wood will become colored pencils. The art returns to full color when a child purchases one of the pencils in an art supply store and uses it to draw the forest back to life. The story poses meaningful questions about the origins of everyday objects and the sacrifices they require to produce, but the creative visual exploration leaves room for delight and inspiration as well. The book closes with well-considered prompts for deepening the experience of reading a wordless book.

From the July/August 2025 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.