What is a pencil? A forest transformed. In this beautifully illustrated wordless picture book, young readers can follow a pencil's life cycle from tree to factory to store shelf and back to tree.

Even the simplest tool contains multitudes. Once a living tree, then a manufactured commodity, a pencil in the hands of a young artist becomes the key to a rich imaginative world. In this expansive, gorgeously illustrated story, creator Hye-Yun Kim asks us to see and appreciate the full value—and infinite possibilities—of the pencil, as well as other seemingly mundane objects around us. This powerful aid for teaches readers essential visual literacy skills and celebrates the creative process.