For anyone who may remember the iconic Harold and the Purple Crayon, this is a re-imagined wordless version in full color. Wordless books draw children into a thousand different versions of a story illustrated on the pages. A child can enjoy a wordless book on their own because they are not "missing out" on any words they cannot pronounce. Instead they are creating the story as they go. Having a caring "reader" to help guide discussion or ask a child what they think is happening is an excellent way to bond and reinforce oral language skills.

The opening shows a young girl leaving an art store with a pencil in hand. And how she uses that pencil is pure magic. Children will eagerly anticipate what comes next. There are so many beautiful details to explore visually. Children can imagine what came before the story began and what might happen after the book ends. There are elements of "I Spy" in the book with animals peeking out of a forest and I love the ending that defies logic. While whithin the pages of Pencil, a child's imagination and sense of wonder will be awakened. Older children will enjoy grabbing their own pencil and trying to copy the illustrations, making this a wonderful art study as well.

I highly recommend wordless books as a way to encourage children to narrate their own story and perhaps be inspired to create their own wordless books. I highly recommend Pencil for every public, school, or home library. This would make a fabulous gift in combination with colored pencils and a sketchbook--for those blank pages are the invitation to create another story!

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of Pencil from Astra Publishing House through NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

3.5 rating: I loved the illustrations and how they wove together from page to page nicely. I also think it's a neat idea to let the pictures do the talking but that means this would definitely have to be a story for older kids. The concepts in some of the drawings are maybe too obscure for littler ones to understand. I also loved the color pallet as an adult but for kids it might not be very eye catching.

Imaginative illustrations tell a wordless and wondrous story about where an everyday object came from, and what it might give back. This one leaves us lots to ponder.

Gorgeous illustrations, telling a lovely story of rebirth and growth. I love that there's information at the end about how to read a silent book, too!

Pencil by Hye-Eun Kim is a beautiful, reflective book with no dialogue but lots of ideas. I would definitely bring this picture book into my early elementary classroom and use it is a starting point to discuss a variety of Social Studies, Science, STEM and Art topics. I wish it was longer!

Pencil by Hye-Eun Kim is a beautifully illustrated book full of possibilities. It is great for children who are not quite reading yet. Another way I might incorporate it into my classroom is when we talk about having a growth mindset. A growth mindset is all about knowing that mistakes are ok and we can continue to learn a grow throughout our whole lives. I would use this as a writing prompt for a growth mindset discussion.

Some books don't need words. This is one of them. This thought-provoking reflective book about the life of a pencil and the circle of life is powerful and perfect for a classroom setting.

A wordless book that follows the creation of a pencil and its metaphorical return to the forest where it came from. This is a book that provides a full-circle look at the creation of a pencil. Though not exact about the process, it is more about the journey of the how the pencil, once created, is used to draw or "create" the forest that its wood was harvested from.

The drawings are beautiful, and I especially like that they were done with color pencils - a nice touch. I think this book would be best suited for ages 3-9, and I like that a child who can't read yet can look at and enjoy the book, as well as having it read to them.

Pencil
Hye-Eun Kim
Astra Publishing House

This is a delightful picture book with gorgeous illustrations. The title, Pencil drew me. No pun intended but it works. I like the thoughtful directions in the back on how to use the book. The book gives appreciation to everyday objects. Simple yet powerful, it’s a book to linger over. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to see the physical copy. Thank you to NetGallery and Astra Publishing House for the advanced digital copy.

Always astounded by the potency and vibrancy of a wordless picture book. This one benefits from a lovely set of instructions/guiding questions at the end that I will purchase the book for and use in my classroom. Illustrations are gorgeous as we follow the main character through sharpening her pencil and creating a beautiful world in art!! Have pre-ordered!!

A wordless picture book on the journey of a tree that becomes a pencil. The artwork is detailed and draws you in. I loved the birds from the forest and the creative coloring choices. The story is open to interpretation and leaves the reader reflecting on the world around them. Love the insights into reading a wordless picture book at the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Astra Publishing House for providing me with a digital ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Pencil is a beautifully illustrated picture book, from the pencil shavings turning into leaves through pages of trees and factories, it is gorgeous. Each wordless page will spark the imagination of any child reading it to create their own story.

A simple, wordless picturebook filled with colored pencil drawings. It tracks the practical and imagined cycles of tree to pencil, pencil to tree and people to nature, nature to people. The drawings are beautiful. The self-directed story has shades of Where the Wild Things are and the child depicted drawing the world evokes Harold and the Purple Crayon.

This would be a great book to spark discussion, to occupy a child during quiet time, or wind down for bed.

Thank you to Astra House for an advanced copy.

Netgalley ARC- Simple but poignant. Though I enjoy them, I struggle to rate wordless picture books sometimes when the art doesn't sweep me off my feet. But I really liked how the birds moved with the trees.

The cover's vibrant colors and distinctive art style immediately captivated me. It's remarkable how such a simple subject—the creation of a pencil—can be conveyed so beautifully and completely without a single word.

This book possesses a rare ability to engage readers of all ages. Young children will be sparked with curiosity, while older readers and adults can simply appreciate the exquisite visual narrative.

Thank you for sharing this lovely book with us. It's truly perfect as it is.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

It’s always nice to come across a book without words and comforting drawings. Sometimes you just need to get back to basics and enjoy the simplicity of things.

You get to see all sorts of artistic techniques as you go through the pages to see the life cycle of a pencil. The colors are calming and arranged so that there is an order to things. Sometimes there is just too much going on in other picture books - too much color, too much movement. There is something calming about the stillness of the pictures in this book. Looking at the pictures also made me want to pick up a pencil and do some drawing myself.

I don’t know if it’s because of the layout of the review copy, but at the end there is a guide on “How to Read a Silent Book”. I think it would’ve been helpful to have that at the beginning of the book.

Mother of two here, and this was a beautiful book! My kids and I enjoyed looking through the book, at the pictures, and pointing out different elements. The illustrations are so detailed and gorgeous but I do not feel a book without words would get much use in our household. We own 1 book without words and, although that too is beautifully illustrated, it does not get any use in our home. I do love that the illustrator gives a “How To” guide at the end of the book, helping families walk through a silent book. That is helpful but a tough concept for children to grasp.

Thank you to NetGalley and Astra Publishing House for this eARC!

What a colourful and creative text that has so many layers within it. As a reader you interpret different aspects due to there being no text to follow. You see the journey of the pencil but you are also reflecting on the impact on the environment and considering how pencils give us unique opportunities to make the world more vibrant and beautiful. It gives you so much in terms of a story journey but there is still a plethora of perspectives to explore as there is no text to limit your imagination.

Thank you for the advanced copy! This was a great story for young readers and very well written! The pictures were entertaining!

I loved how this book progressed showing how the pencils were made. The art work is gorgeous. The end…. Divine! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pencil!