Tag: Eraser

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

When Pencil Met Eraser… a story of friendship

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

When Pencil Met Eraser, by Karen Kilpatrick & Luis O. Ramos, Jr./Illustrated by German Blanco, (May 2019, Macmillan), $17.99, ISBN: 9781250309396

Ages 3-6

Ever wonder how Pencil and Eraser met? This adorable story provides the origin story for one of history’s most enduring dynamic duos. Pencil loves to draw and he likes to work alone; that is, until Eraser shows up and starts “enhancing” Pencil’s work. Pencil, challenged, starts creating more and more, only to have Eraser put finishing touches that make everything more dynamic, with more depth and interest. Eraser is relentlessly upbeat, making him an adorable and amusing foil to the grumpy Pencil. When the two collaborate on a maze, their future together is sealed: together, they’re unstoppable.

When Pencil Met Eraser is a story about teamwork, about friendship, and about creativity. It’s very similar to Max Amato’s Perfect, and I love both books’ use of erasure to create art. Pencil is adorable, with a wide-open smile and who performs acrobatic moves throughout the story, as he buzzes around Pencil’s creations; Pencil is a sweet curmudgeon, with hands pressed to his hip area and a slash for both eyebrows and mouth. He softens up and reveals a sweet smile all his own.

Macmillan offers a free, downloadable activity kit for When Pencil Met Eraser that makes a great storytime enhancement! Try some erasure art with your storytime groups, and see what the kids come up with. Add this to your friendship storytimes for laughs.

 

 

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, picture books

Blog Tour: ERASER, by Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I am so excited for this blog tour stop! I’ve been a fan Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant since 2014’s You Are (Not) Small. That’s (Not) Mine (2015) and I Am (Not) Scared (2017) round out a fun trilogy on friendship and preschooler life that makes every storytime too much fun. Now, just in time for back-to-school, Kang and Weyant give readers…

Eraser, by Anna Kang/Illustrated by Christopher Weyant,
(Sept. 2018, Two Lions), $17.99, ISBN: 978-1503902589
Ages 4-8

Eraser is a school supply that’s sick and tired of cleaning up everyone’s mess and getting no respect. She’s always there to help, but Pencil gets all of her glory. Her friends Sharpener and Ruler are the only two who understand her, but their encouragement isn’t enough anymore: Eraser’s tired of being on the cleanup crew. When the other school supplies snub her while holding a creative meeting, Eraser’s has HAD IT. She heads off to other adventures, leaving Pencil and the other supplies to fend for themselves. Eraser, meanwhile, meets a group of new friends that help her see where her true talent lie.

Eraser is a fun, smart story about looking beneath the surface and embracing one’s true gifts; using school supplies to tell this story is a great way to communicate this to younger readers, who may not understand how to see within themselves – or each other – those subtle gifts that make each one of us unique. Anna Kang’s got a gift for pacing and dialogue that makes her books something we return to again and again; Christopher Weyant brings the characters to life using ink and watercolor, creating instantly recognizable, with a touch of childlike fun that will have kids drawing their own school supply adventures.

The fun part about books by Anna Kang? You can give them all sorts of different voices, or invite your kids to put on their own voices and act them out. Eraser gives readers several different characters to take on, so try out a reader’s theatre! There’s a great art project contained within the story, so keep an eye out for it and invite your kiddos to create some dioramas of their own – just make sure all art supplies get their say. You know I love my activity kits, and you can find one right here.

 

One lucky winner will receive a 7-piece school supply kit along with a copy of ERASER, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses). Enter this Rafflecopter giveaway!

Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small and its follow-ups That’s (Not) Mine and I Am (Not) Scared. Christopher’s work can be seen routinely in The New Yorker magazine and his cartoons are syndicated worldwide. As an author, Anna regularly goes through first, second, and third drafts. Chris wears down many erasers while making his art. This husband-and-wife team lives in New Jersey with their two daughters and their rescue dog. Visit them at www.annakang.com and www.christopherweyant.com.