Review Detail

THE MAGIC PENCIL is a picture book about changing the world. Three friends are excited to spend the day together. When they pass Mrs. Cranky's yard full of cats, they notice one that they think looks hungry and decide to get it some milk to drink. When Mrs. Cranky notices them feeding her cat, instead of being upset, she gives them some magical gifts, a pencil, a sharpener, and an eraser. When they decide to make a drawing with the pencil in their notebook, to their surprise, what they have drawn pops up in front of them in the real world. Together, they think and come up with some clever things to draw into existence (though they find that the eraser allows them to undo any mistakes).

As their pencil gets shorter, they know they are running out of magic. When they think about what they will do with the final bit of pencil, they decide to do something for others, creating houses, hospitals, and schools for those who need them - as well as lots of hearts to inspire love in the hearts of others.

What I loved: This has an overall sweet message about helping others and using your good fortune not only for yourself but to benefit those around you. The elements of magic and friendship are ones that young readers will be able to get into as they explore this story. The characters themselves are presented as Margarita who has two dads, and the twins Daniel and Charlie who have two moms. Although this was not the main storyline, it was great to see diverse types of families and the love that the children share with their parents and each other. The messaging was one of the strongest parts, and it spells out the key points at the end of the story for young readers who might not yet be great at reading between the lines.

What left me wanting more: The art style was sparse and a bit confusing in places with random photograph styles among a cartoonish simple style. Although she fit her name, Mrs. Cranky was a bit creepy/scary looking, and sensitive readers may be a bit afraid of the page with her on it (her eyes are a bit funky in shape that makes her look a bit strange). This may be personal preference, but it did not always seem to suit the imaginative story well.

Final verdict: THE MAGIC PENCIL is a sweet picture book about kindness and helping others with a dose of magic. This would work well for preschool and young elementary school aged readers.