The New York Times Book Review - David Treuer
…a wonderful and touching story about resilience and thrift and community. Charlene Chua's illustrations…are playful and open and beautiful.
CanLit for Little Canadians
"The Pencil goes beyond a lesson in frugality and becomes a story of family, of play and of culture, which many children will appreciate."
CM Magazine
"The Pencil is an incredible look into a life not many people get to see or experience...a must-read for kids and adults alike. Highly Recommended."
The New York Times Book Review
"[A] wonderful and touching story about resilience and thrift and community. The illustrations are appropriately done in pencil, and they are playful and open and beautiful."
The Globe and Mail
" [A] rich and moving story about how small things can make a tremendous difference in children’s lives...Avingaq’s childhood is beautifully evoked in this charming story about the need to take care of our belongings."
From the Publisher
"[A] wonderful and touching story about resilience and thrift and community. The illustrations are appropriately done in pencil, and they are playful and open and beautiful."—The New York Times Book Review
" [A] rich and moving story about how small things can make a tremendous difference in children’s lives...Avingaq’s childhood is beautifully evoked in this charming story about the need to take care of our belongings."—The Globe and Mail
"Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely...A breath of warmth from the far north."—Kirkus Reviews
"A family-focused story with a light moral that lovingly illuminates a lifestyle rarely seen in children’s books."—School Library Journal
The Pencil is an incredible look into a life not many people get to see or experience...a must-read for kids and adults alike. Highly Recommended."—CM Magazine
"The Pencil goes beyond a lesson in frugality and becomes a story of family, of play and of culture, which many children will appreciate."—CanLit for Little Canadians
School Library Journal
09/01/2019
PreS-Gr 2—An Inuit elder shares a memory of her childhood in this appealing picture book. One day, when Anaana (mother) has to help deliver a neighbor's baby, children Susan, Rebecca, and Peter must entertain themselves. Ataata (father) tells stories, they play games, and they practice writing on the icy window. Then Ataata surprises them by bringing out one of Anaana's prized possessions—a tiny, well-worn pencil, used for writing letters on bags, wrappers, and sometimes, on precious pieces of paper. He encourages them to write and draw, offering up a single sheet of unmarked paper. All day, Susan and her siblings marvel as their drawings materialize on the page. When Anaana returns, her initial hesitation at seeing the pencil smaller than before is tempered by the joy her children have in sharing their drawings with her. While she reminds them all how important it is to use the few resources that they have wisely, she also affirms the value of what they created. Avingaq's memories of an affectionate, close-knit family are perfectly captured by Chua's expressive cartoon illustrations. VERDICT A family-focused story with a light moral that lovingly illuminates a lifestyle rarely seen in children's books. A solid purchase for larger collections.—Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN
Kirkus Reviews
2019-06-23
When their mother leaves to help a neighbor, siblings Susan, Rebecca, and Peter are surprised when their father opens his wife's wooden box of special things.
With Anaana gone from their iglu, the children play all their usual games: a jumping contest, blindfolded hide-and-seek, drawing on the ice window, and playing with the dolls their grandmother has made for them, but soon all three become bored. However, Ataata surprises them by opening Anaana's wooden box and taking out her pencil! He hands it and a piece of paper to Susan, the oldest and narrator, so she can draw. Soon, the other children each have a turn with the pencil, but with the paper full, they draw on the back of an empty tea box. Ataata must sharpen the pencil with his knife, making the pencil much smaller; Susan wonders what will happen when Anaana returns. Authors Avingaq and Vsetula understand life in Nunavut, Canada, and embed in the story the importance of being responsible for belongings and caring for them wisely. A helpful glossary of the Inuktitut words (italicized on first reference within the story) is included in the backmatter. Chua depicts a close, loving Inuit family dressed in furs; a traditional ulu and seal-oil lamp can be seen along with a European kettle in the cozy interior.
A breath of warmth from the far north. (Picture book. 5-7)
