Ren’s Pencil

K-Gr 2–Growing up, Ren loved sharing stories and whimsical imaginings with Popo (grandmother) more than anything else. When Ren’s family must move to a country far away in the West, Ren is unable to mask her disappointment at leaving Popo behind. Everything in the new land is different, and Ren feels as though she does not belong. But with the help of a magic pen from Popo, Ren finds there is more than one way to communicate and more than one way to make friends. In nuanced, limited language, this beautiful picture book explores the difficult feelings that come when children move from one place to another. As the focal point of the story, fanciful illustrations invite readers of all linguistic backgrounds to immerse themselves in the book, observing Ren in both her real and her imagined circumstances. Inspired by the author’s own experiences, this book deftly incorporates both the loneliness and the eventual comfort that occur whenever one faces a change in life. Dreamlike colors and soft lines enhance the whimsical nature of the storytelling, encouraging readers to closely investigate the images and develop narratives of their own.