Pencil's Best Story Ever

This is a story written by Pencil, aided and abetted by author/artist Carly Gledhill. The main character is Pencil’s friend, Peanut, and he’s going on a BIG adventure, an adventure that sees him venturing into the Super Spooky Forest, despite the warning signs at its edge. Therein though, another character Jelly, also gets involved in the adventure and before long the two of them encounter a large grizzly bear. Fortunately for them both, Bear chases them up a hill but despite his rumbly tummy, fails to consume them. Jelly, he says, is his friend and he has a nut allergy. so Peanut is safe too. And so it continues with the unexpected appearance of peas, crocodiles, a gigantic octopus and a ginormous snowball. Talk about a twisting, turning narrative: how will it all end? Happily, it appears, but not, ever after.

Young readers/listeners will delight in this, not least because of the way Pencil carries the story he’s writing with him throughout and treats everyone to extracts from time to time. Silly and huge fun, both in the vibrant visuals and verbally (there are speech bubbles, signs and lists as well as the main narrative.)

The book as a whole demonstrates the kind of imaginative, co-operative play that adults, especially those in education, love to see children engaging in.