STUBBY, by Sydra Mallery and John Hare, Greenwillow Books, June 30, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (ages 4-8)
Follow a pencil’s journey from cedar tree to classroom in Stubby, written by Sydra Mallery and illustrated by John Hare.
It all started in a forest.
Before working hard in the classroom and being sharpened down to a stub, Stubby was a towering cedar tree in a forest far away. It hasn’t been easy for Stubby—he’s been sliced and chewed, made friends and lost them, and even spent three dusty days on the floor before being scooped up. Stubby describes each step of his journey from tree to pencil to writer from his own (very silly, very dramatic, very creative) point of view. —Synopsis provided by Greenwillow Books
Stubby is an informative read where humor and facts have equal billing. The book feels very much like a Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood or Reading Rainbow spot from back in the day. The book takes readers through all the steps of becoming a pencil and some silly ways pencils get used.
Author Sydra Mallery’s experience as an elementary school teacher is clear. She knows her audience, and her text is perfectly toned for it. Illustrator John Hare perfectly captures Stubby and his adventures, capturing even the more mundane elements of a pencil’s life with a spark.
Kids will definitely get a kick out of Stubby and his adventures.
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