The Red Pencil By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Illustrated by Shane W. Evans | Beautiful Blackbird Children's Book Festival

The Red Pencil

By Andrea Davis Pinkney
& Illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Life in Amira’s peaceful Sudanese village is shattered when Janjaweed attackers arrive, unleashing unspeakable horrors. After losing nearly everything, Amira needs to find the strength to make the long journey on foot to safety at a refugee camp. She begins to lose hope, until the gift of a simple red pencil opens her mind — and all kinds of possibilities.

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Andrea Davis Pinkney

Andrea Davis Pinkney is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of nearly 50 books for young readers, among them The Red Pencil and A Poem for Peter, as well as several collaborations with her husband Brian Pinkney, including Sit -In and Hand in Hand, which received the Coretta Scott King Book Award.

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Rather than presenting dialogue and narrative, this book creates a story by weaving together poetic words and hand-drawn images that invite readers to use their skills of interpretation to follow and understand Amira’s story. This book is wonderful for both writers and artists. As you make your way through the book, try reading some of the poems out loud. Which words or lines do you emphasize in your reading? Pay attention to the form of each poem – how are they different? How are they similar? Take a close look at the face drawings in the book. Notice the details drawn into each face. How do these facial details help you understand the characters?

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkley

Make/Do/Learn

In the refugee camp, Amira is given a red pencil. This small gift invites her to capture not just her art, but the words she is learning to write and the poems that are starting to flow. Inspired by how a single object transforms Amira’s creativity and healing, this activity invites you to use a special object as inspiration for a poem. Find the things that make you feel free and confident! Pick up your pencil and write!

FREE WRITING WORKSHOP!

The Poetry of Things: Object Writing Workshop

In this poetry workshop we will use Andrea Davis Pinkney’s novel in verse “The Red Pencil” as inspiration for our object poems. Life the central character Amira, we will explore the interplay between text and drawing and create our own celebratory poems.

For youth ages 10-16
September 8th, 4:30-5:45pm
Children’s Museum and Theater of Maine

Join us on Wednesdays August 4th, September 1st and 8th
from 4:30pm-5:45pm for three free workshops led by
Telling Room teaching artists