Editorial Review: Inside the Pencil Box by Avni Saxena
When the Pencil Kingdom and the Eraser Kingdom clash, the rivalry spills out of the pencil box and causes problems at school for poor Emma. Only the powers of teamwork and friendship can save the day in this charming children’s book.
Things have been relatively peaceful inside Emma’s pencil box, where the Pencil Kingdom and the Eraser Kingdom reside. However, an unflattering newspaper article by an eraser rekindles the long rivalry between the two kingdoms. The pencils believe that erasers are useless because all they do is erase the hard work done by pencils. On the other hand, the erasers believe that the pencils are lazy and ungrateful for all the hard work the erasers do fixing their mistakes. As the two kingdoms clash, it is poor Emma who pays the highest price as her school day turns into a huge mess. The only way to save the day would be the pencils and the erasers putting their differences aside and working together.
Inside The Pencil Box is a delightful story brought to life by colorful drawings of the imaginative characters. The adorable designs used for the pencils and erasers will definitely amuse younger readers and keep them invested in the story. Younger readers will also be delighted by the antics of the pencils and erasers, while older children will find Emma to be a relatable character. The story is original and creative and filled with important lessons that children can easily understand.
Inside The Pencil Box is split into six chapters that show how the story plays out from the perspective of the pencils, the erasers, as well as Emma. At 44 pages, the story is slightly longer than most children’s books but engaging enough to keep younger readers hooked. The chapters also make it easy for parents to read the book to younger children as a bedtime story. In addition, some of the pages feature full-page illustrations of the characters, and there are smaller illustrations on almost every page.
Overall, Inside The Pencil Box strikes the perfect balance between telling a story that engages younger readers and wrapping everything up in a valuable lesson. It is filled with colorful characters that are brought to life thanks to the beautiful illustrations. While the reading age for this book is about four to eleven years, the endearing story and amusing pictures will delight readers of all ages.