Pencil

In the opening spreads of this exquisitely drawn wordless story, a blade sharpens a green pencil, whose shavings drift down the page and become leaves. A page later, the view pulls back to reveal a growing forest of tiny, carefully etched trees, then a closely wooded paradise filled with animals. Soon, flocks of birds rise in agitation from the forest. Trees are felled; hauled to a gray, smoky city; and sent through a factory assembly line to make colored pencils. At an art store, a child buys another green pencil. Outside, beginning from the stumps of trees that have been chopped down, the child draws new trunks, branches, and leaves, until animals and birds begin to venture back and the forest is renewed. Lamenting the exploitation of trees and ecosystems, this spare, elegant narrative by Kim (Yellow Boxes, for adults) tells a larger story about the destruction of natural resources, seeding hope that the next generation will restore them. The child’s skin tone takes the white of the page. Instructions for sharing silent books conclude. Ages 5–7. (Mar.)