Written by Sydra Mallery, Illustrated by John Hare
Have you ever been curious how pencils are made? Would you like to see it illustrated from tree to pencil? Now’s your chance! This story is a pencil’s journey, told from the perspective of a tiny pencil named Stubby. It takes readers all the way from a towering cedar tree to a classroom pencil, showing each step of the manufacturing process along the way.
My favorite part was the pencil factory spread that showed how a pencil is made while going through the conveyor belt and eventually being boxed up.
This book is full of humor and delightful illustrations that were originally rough sketched by, yes, an old chewed-up pencil! It also offers some solid STEM learning. Though it is a bit wordy and long, it will have wide appeal to educators, libraries, families, and of course young ones.
Reviewed by Kristen Hunt, Librarian, Whittier Elementary School
Review shared in July 2026
Rating: ★★★★✩ (4 stars)
Interest Level: Grades K-3
Stubby: A Pencil’s Journey
Written by Sydra Mallery, Illustrated by John Hare
Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
40 pages
Release Date: June 30, 2026
ISBN: 9780062364319
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
