Linus the Little Yellow Pencil by Scott Magoon

Let me introduce you to Linus the Little Yellow Pencil! Hot off the presses, this book is a delightful and powerful read!

Linus and his eraser Ernie aren’t always on the same page. Linus tries his best, but when his lines are crooked, Ernie offers a tough critique. To win the family art show, they must learn to listen to each other and work together. 

This is an excellent story for talking about collaboration and working as a team. But, even more, this book is a powerful reminder of how to overcome the negative voices around/inside us. This brilliantly illustrated story exhorts readers to “find your path by drawing it”, to let go of the critiques of others and to follow your inspiration!

Grade: primary…but always a fun read for the bigger kids!

Curricular Connections: Core Competencies – Creative and Critical Thinking, Positive Personal Identity, Personal Awareness & Responsibility

Inspiring Ideas: ​Linus and Ernie work together to strategically draw and erase to make something beautiful. Check out what we did with Ms.Nye’s class in the Learning Commons! 
This book also sparks conversation about each of us doing what we do best: try exploring how pens/pencils/brushes/crayons/pencil crayons each create different effects in art, invite students to explore the remarkable differences each tool can make in their art. 
Use this fantastic image to inspire your own class mosaics.