When Pencil Met Eraser, Story by Karen Kilpartrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr., illustrated by Germán Blanco
Story by Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos, Jr.,
illustrations by Germán Blanco
Review Copy from Imprint
When Pencil Met Eraser takes a common theme for picture books - opposites learning to appreciate each other and work together - and adds a creative layer, brought to the page by Blanco's marvelous illustrations. Persnickety Pencil learns to broaden his perspective when enthusiastic Eraser alters his drawings through the use of negative space.
Rigid Pencil believes his art is great and not in need of improvements by Eraser, challenging Eraser to improve on his creations, which Eraser does again and again. Eraser finally convinces Pencil of his value when, after Pencil challenges him to improve a drawing of intricate lines, Eraser turns it into a maze. And, "Everyone knows that pencil can never resist a maze . . ." In fact, Eraser even helps out when Pencil makes a wrong turn in the maze. Together, they go on to great works and, in a clever ending, a handful of more art supplies show up and enhance the work of Pencil and Eraser further.
LOVE Blanco's endpapers, which are the perfect before & after for this book:
Interestingly, When Pencil Met Eraser hits the shelves just four months after the remarkably similar Perfect, by Max Amato. You can read a starred review here.
