Kim, Hye-Eun. Pencil. Hye-Eun Kim, Illus. Astra/TOON, 03/2025. [48]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 978-1-662-66553-0. GRADES Preschool–3. OUTSTANDING.
This stunning wordless story follows colored pencil shavings that become leaves, a forest, and finally a resplendent world of wonder; then the forest is cut down, taken to the factory, and made into colored pencils. A young East Asian-presenting child (modeled after Kim’s own daughter) gathers the pencils at an art store, and as she draws … a new cycle begins. The delicate colored pencil and marker artwork is both beautiful and engaging in its fine detail. On the final page, Kim offers thoughts on “How to read a silent book,” gently and skillfully guiding caregivers and children to let each experience fully bloom. This wordless story is a true tribute to the flow of our imagination and the cycles of nature, sure to inspire readers toward their own art-making and reflective thought.
Alexandre Petrakis—San Francisco Public Library