When Pencil Met Eraser



Last updated Thursday, September 1, 2022

Author: Karen Kilpatrick and German Blanco
Illustrator: Luis O. Ramos Jr.
Date of Publication: 2019
ISBN: 1250309395
Grade Level: Kindergarten    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Sep. 2022

Synopsis: When Pencil draws on the pages of this book, Eraser erases parts of Pencil's work, and the book itself becomes a canvas for their different takes on creativity - until the two discover their artwork is even better when they work together.

Note to readers:
•  This is the first in-person reading club in a very long time. Be prepared for the kids to be extra talkative (or extra shy) being in the room together.
•  Some schools will meet outdoors, so be prepared for distractions as well.

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Has anyone used a pencil to draw?
•  What other things have you used to draw pictures?
•  Ever wonder why there’s a little pink eraser on most pencils?
•  Do you have a best friend? Why are they your best friend?

Vocabulary:

•  Artist – s someone whose life's work — or passionate hobby — focuses on some creative enterprise. If you love to paint portraits of your dog or flowers, you are an artist.
•  Create – simply means to make or bring into existence. Bakers create cakes, ants create problems at picnics, and you probably created a few imaginary friends when you were little
•  Meadow – is another word for a hayfield but offers a much more picturesque view as an open field of lush grass filled with butterflies and birds, with room to run.
•  Maze – Is a puzzle with twist and turns, where you try to find a path from entrance to the exit.

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What made the pencil happy? What made the pencil sad?
•  What made the eraser happy? What were some of the things the eraser did?
•  Did the eraser mess up the pencil’s drawings?
•  Name something that helped the pencil be friends with eraser.

Craft ideas:
•  Have the children draw something in pencil and use an eraser to change the picture. You may also see if they have colors to add to their pencil/eraser drawing.
•  Have children shade in with pencil, a square, rectangle or half the page, then use eraser to draw a picture. https://parentingnotperfection.com/eraser-drawing/
•  Have children draw a maze. Use an eraser to create a start and exit.
•  Have children attempt a drawing of two best friends.
•  Grandparents Day is Sunday, September 11th. Make a greeting card. (Note: Grandparents Days was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 to acknowledge the special relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren)
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
at https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/september-2022-back-to-school-fun/k-when-pencil-met-eraser/

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!