WOW Review: Volume XVII, Issue 4 • Page 10 of 12 • Worlds of Words

Pencil
Written and illustrated by Hye-Eun Kim
A Toon Book, 2021, 44 pp (unpaged)
ISBN: 978-1662665530

Thin curls of pencil shavings quietly fall to the ground and a sprout emerges. The sprout grows into a tree, and one by one, more trees join to form a dense forest. Each tree grows in its own unique way, and the forest fills with birds and animals. One day, the peaceful forest trembles and birds fly away in fear as trees are cut down. The fallen trees are transported to a factory, where they are turned into colorful pencils amid rising smoke. These pencils are delivered to an art store, where a young girl buys one. She begins to draw a tree on a stump left behind by the felled forest. The tree she draws grows, branching outward. As it gets taller, the girl climbs onto a chair and then a ladder to keep drawing. She continues to draw the tree, and in the process of rebuilding the forest, birds and animals return. Together, humans and nature recreate a lush forest. At the edge of the forest, the girl plants the pencil into the ground. She disappears but from that very spot, a new sprout begins to grow.

This book gently yet powerfully explores the relationship between humans and nature, addressing the urgent issues of destruction and restoration while highlighting the essential qualities of ecosystems—diversity and coexistence. As a wordless picturebook, it uses visual techniques effectively to bring these themes to life. The contrast between natural and human activity is effectively portrayed through the use of a simple line. Nature is depicted as expansive, filling entire pages without borders, while human actions are rendered on a thin line that traverses across pages. This juxtaposition intuitively conveys human intervention in contrast to the natural world.

The book excels in portraying the diversity and vitality of an ecosystem. Starting from a single tree, the forest gradually expands into a flourishing habitat of trees in various colors, sizes, and forms, emphasizing ecological diversity and the harmonious coexistence of many species. The forest, drawn without borders across full spreads, symbolizes the infinite boundaries of the ecosystem.

This peaceful ecosystem collapses due to human intervention. Trees are felled, and factories emit smoke in the service of industrial production for human convenience. While these depictions highlight environmental destruction and the consequences of industrialization, the author/illustrator goes beyond critique to imagine hopes for recovery. At the edge of the forest, the girl plants the pencil into the ground. She is no longer present. From the spot where the pencil stands, a new sprout grows. The distinction between human and nature, artificial and natural, begins to dissolve, and they become part of one another. The pencil is no longer a tool for human consumption alone; it is transformed into a medium of life. The girl’s absence leaves a lingering emotional resonance.

Pencil can be beautifully paired with Zonia’s Rain Forest (Juana Martinez-Neal, 2021), which portrays a young Asháninka girl’s deep bond with the Peruvian Amazon, highlighting Indigenous reverence for nature and a powerful message of self-determination as she takes agency in protecting her homeland. My Life at the Bottom: The Story of a Lonesome Axolotl (Linda Bondestam, 2022) would also be an excellent choice for a partner text. This book invites readers to reflect on climate change and environmental responsibility through the eyes of an adorable axolotl struggling to survive amid an environmental crisis.

The author, Hye-Eun Kim, lives in Korea. She majored in fine arts in college and worked as a designer and illustrator before becoming a picturebook author, pursuing her true passion. Pencil is her debut picture book. She shares that she is curious about stories that are neither vague nor grand, and she loves the moment they are reimagined as images. Each day, she quietly searches for things too shy to speak aloud. This book began with her imaginative thought that the pencil, so easily within reach on her drawing table, might once have been a tall, solitary tree standing firm in a vast forest. No informational text appears on the book cover. The backside of the cover features a full image of a forest, which can be appreciated as a beautiful work of art. This book was selected for the 2022 Bologna Ragazzi Award Amazing Bookshelf.

HeeYoung Kim, West Texas A&M

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