Pencil is a spare yet rich little exploration of (on a concrete level) where pencils come from, and (on a more abstract level) how creation is part of an endless cycle of taking and giving back. Through beautiful and fitting colored pencil illustrations, we see pencil shavings turn into tree sprouts, which grow into forests before being chopped down and brought to a factory where they are made into pencils and brought to stores. From there, an unnamed child protagonist begins to draw tree sprouts, then trees growing, then a forest-- and so the cycle begins again.

This is a fine example of a wordless picture book, with a concept rich enough to carry readers along even without text to guide them. I was particularly delighted to find the brief "How to read a silent book" text at the end, which guides readers who may be unfamiliar with wordless picture books as to how they can engage with and narrate the story, for both themselves and others. These tips would apply to any wordless picture book, so this would be a nice addition to a collection that already contains others.

Thank you NetGalley, Astra Publishing House, and Hye-Eun Kim for the early access copy of Pencil.

Pencil is a wordless picture book showing the life cycle of a pencil and the beauty of its creations. The illustrations are beautifully drawn pencil art that has a gripping colour palate. The story can be used as a tool to teach interpretation, reflection, and the lifecycle of a product. With a description on how to read a wordless picture book. This would be an amazing addition to any school library.

I have not read a silent story in such a long time. If you choose to read this one, there's a beautiful guide at the end on how to read a silent book - I would read this first with my family or a class. There's even a challenge on how a book could be made with other everyday used items which I think would be an incredibly powerful assignment to do with students. I think the illustrations in this book are incredibly gorgeous and make a powerful statement.

This story follows the story of a pencil from how its made to how it can be recycled back into nature. The pencil drawings are incredible. I cannot describe it here in any sort of way that would do it justice.

If you LOVE picture books, trees and colored pencils, this is the picture book for you! If you are looking for something new and creative to do in the classroom, this would pair really well with the book with no pictures to make a fun lesson on both styles.