Pencilvania

by Stephanie Watson, Sofia Moore (Illustrator)

In this illustrated, modern take on The Phantom Tollbooth meets Harold and the Purple Crayon, author Stephanie Watson beautifully explores grief and creativity through an unforgettable fantasy world.

Ever since she first learned to hold a crayon, Zora Webb has been unstoppable. Zora draws hamsters wearing pajamas and balloons and Lake Superior and pancakes and hundreds of horses. Her drawings fill sketchbooks and cover the walls of the happy home she shares with Frankie and their mother.

But when Zora's mom is diagnosed with leukemia, everything changes. After months of illness, she dies, and with her goes Zora's love of creation. Desperate to escape the pain, Zora scribbles out her artwork. Her dark, furious scribbles lift off the page and yank Zora and Frankie into Pencilvania, a magical world that's home to everything Zora has ever drawn. And one drawing--a scribbled-out horse named Viscardi--is determined to finish the destruction Zora started.

Viscardi kidnaps Frankie, promising to scribble her and all of Pencilvania out at sunrise. Zora sets out to rescue her sister, venturing deep into Pencilvania--a place crawling with memories, dangers, and new friends. If she is to save Frankie, Zora will have to face the darkness that both surrounds her and is inside of her.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Animals, Childrens

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

There is more than one author by this name on Goodreads.

Reviews

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Middle Grade with Magical Realism/Fantasy. This book was so much fun to read, and I loved how this book covered the main character losing her Mother. This book made me think of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Harold and the Purple Crayon". I loved the characters in this book so much, and my favorite character was the horse with seven legs. The ending of this book was fill of action and then peace and love which I really loved. I think Children and Adults will both enjoy reading this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Sourcebooks Young Readers) or author (Stephanie Watson) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: Ever since she first learned to hold a crayon, Zora loved to draw.

Premise/plot: Pencilvania is Stephanie Watson's newest middle grade (fantasy) novel. Zora, our heroine, loves, loves, loves to draw--always has. But does that mean she always will? Her mom has a special word, VOOM, for describing when her daughter is in the zone and FEELING the art. Her mom appreciates her daughter's talent--some of Zora's drawings have become part of her mom's permanent collection. Frankie, her younger sister, also loves Zora's art. Especially when Zora draws horses for her. (Frankie loves, loves, loves horses).

But after her mom dies--of leukemia--Zora loses her voom. Every time she tries to draw, she ends up having a panic attack. On her sister's birthday, Zora tries one more time--for her sister--to draw. But that leads to a burst of anger leading to...well...the start of the adventure.

Pencilvania is the fantasy land our characters find themselves in. It is a land created--quite unintentionally in many, many ways--by Zora. EVERY drawing Zora has ever done--EVER, EVER--comes alive and lives in Pencilvania. From the earliest scribbles--the eeks--to the latest (a traced horse done the day of her sister's birthday) all are there. But all is not well in Pencilvania. TROUBLE is afoot.

Can Zora find a way to save the day?

My thoughts: While it isn't all that unusual for middle grade novels to handle grief in one way or another, I found the fantasy world of Pencilvania to be entirely unique. (Well, mostly). I love the premise! It's cute, adorable, relatable. I also thought it was clever. I loved the world-building! I loved that there was a SEVEN LEGGED HORSE, and that this horse is one of the central characters. I also loved, loved, loved the eeks--the earliest drawings, her stick figures, if you will. I loved the HAMSTERS IN PAJAMAS. There were plenty of little details that come together to create such a perfect fantasy world. (Like the thousands of baby lakes. Or how EVERY sun that she ever drew exists in this world so everything is always sunny!)

I liked the conflict as well. Everything just seems OH SO RIGHT about this novel.

I personally loved, loved, loved it. I did. I loved everything about it. I loved the relationship between Frankie and Zora. I loved the emotional journey--highs and lows. I loved how imaginative and creative it was. It balances a super fun premise with authentic feelings of grief. This book has plenty of heart. But it isn't a heavy, heavy novel.

Quotes:

“We gather here today,” said the hamster, “like every day, to celebrate our creator. To offer our gratitude for the magnificent world she has made!” All of the hamsters raised their balloon strings high, like torches.
“Well,” Airrol said, “as you looked at us, we looked back at you. Yours was the first face any of us ever saw. Everyone knows you created them, and they adore you for it.” In her mind’s eye, Zora saw the angry protesters by the Zoracle. “Not everybody adores me.” “True,” Airrol said. “But most of us do. And why wouldn’t we? You drew the whole of Pencilvania. Every creature, every blade of grass…” He looked up at the uneven puffs of white drifting overhead. “You drew the clouds, probably when you were just figuring out how make circles.
“Everything you draw gets to decide what it’s going to be and do in Pencilvania. When a drawing arrives, first they pick a name. To make it official, they tell the Zoracle. Then they get on with the business of being themselves.” “Wait, you named yourself?” Zora asked. “Naturally,” Airrol said. “It’s my name. I have to answer to it. Shouldn’t I pick it?”

[Kasee Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

k, well I *adored* this book.

Besides being a pencil fanatic, I thought this was the perfect middle grade novel, and one I already know I'm going to be buying for my library and for friends.

The synopsis:

Ever since she first learned to hold a crayon, Zora Webb has been unstoppable. Zora draws hamsters wearing pajamas and balloons and Lake Superior and pancakes and hundreds of horses. Her drawings fill sketchbooks and cover the walls of the happy home she shares with Frankie and their mother.

But when Zora's mom is diagnosed with leukemia, everything changes. After months of illness, she dies, and with her goes Zora's love of creation. Desperate to escape the pain, Zora scribbles out her artwork. Her dark, furious scribbles lift off the page and yank Zora and Frankie into Pencilvania, a magical world that's home to everything Zora has ever drawn. And one drawing--a scribbled-out horse named Viscardi--is determined to finish the destruction Zora started.

Viscardi kidnaps Frankie, promising to scribble her and all of Pencilvania out at sunrise. Zora sets out to rescue her sister, venturing deep into Pencilvania--a place crawling with memories, dangers, and new friends. If she is to save Frankie, Zora will have to face the darkness that both surrounds her and is inside of her.

The illustrations are fantastic and fun. The writing is creative, engaging, and unique, and I was sucked into this story of grief and fantasy from page one.

SO well done. Five bright, shiny stars from me!

A big thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Kids and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. PENCILVANIA is out October 5th, 2021!

[Amber Hadley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Mom dies of Leukema in the beginning so I was afraid it would be too heavy. But cute story about a girl and all her drawings coming to life.

[Em Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three words for PENCILVANIA: adorable, heart-wrenching, imaginative. Think of a lighter version of A MONSTER CALLS, with an extra pinch of sibling love and a whole lot more portal-world hijinks!

Stephanie Watson has done a phenomenal job of writing a book that balances fun and pain. Zora has recently lost her mother to leukemia, and her grief permeates every page; but when she's sucked into a world populated by her past drawings, she's also confronted by a motley cast of characters including a seven-legged horse, excitable hamsters, and soccer-playing sunshines. If this sounds like a child's fever dream, it absolutely is - Pencilvania shows all the aspects of an evolving childhood at once, in a form that is both bizarre and somehow TRUE. The illustrations form a crucial part of the overall story, enabling readers to visualize what's going on, and despite the seeming randomness, I found myself caring deeply about the wild, creative world Zora must explore.

Yet alas, I am a cynical adult, and Pencilvania is the type of world that doesn't quite stand under scrutiny. Why does the evil Viscardi want to scribble out the entire world, including (presumably) himself? Because ... he just does. What forces brought Zora and Frankie into Pencilvania now, in the first place? And how are we supposed to care about saving characters that (presumably) can be easily altered and fixed by Zora's pencil? Yes, this story is an extended metaphor about confronting and overcoming grief, but I struggled to completely buy into it. The events within Pencilvania are quite random and strung together in a typical "save the world, return home" narrative (prophecy included).

I'm also not sure I bought the overall message itself. If everything Zora (and anyone else!) draws ends up coming alive, then she cannot ever draw anything dark/scary/bad, lest it destroys Pencilvania like Viscardi almost did. If angrily scribbling on paper is cathartic, shouldn't that be ... okay? Yes, creation is better than distruction, but art can be an incredible outlet for exploring darker feelings. Sometimes we don't want to draw cute potato people. Sometimes we do want to draw angry things, and that shouldn't result in the destruction of a whole world.

So overall: PENCILVANIA is a fun, confidently written & illustrated exploration of creativity and grief. The premise does get shaky if you start to think too hard, but it's clear what Watson wanted to accomplish, and I think it will appeal widely to a younger MG audience.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zora loves to draw. When she picks up her pencil to draw, she can feel the Voom in her arm. It’s like her love of drawing just takes over her, and she can’t stop until she’s finished her picture. Even though Zora is only 12, drawing is something she can share with her mom. Her mom loves to draw too, and sometimes the two of them just sit together and work on pictures. Zora draws a lot of horses, because her little sister Frankie loves horses. She wants to learn how to ride, but her mother thinks 6 is a little too young, but she’s promised Frankie can get riding lessons for her next birthday.

But when their mother takes them out to their favorite pancake restaurant, she tells them that she’s sick. She has cancer and will have to get treatment, but she’ll get better. Zora picks up her pencil and draws her mom as a superhero, with boots and a cape, ready to take on cancer.

But ten months later, she’s still sick. In fact, she’s sicker than ever. They all had to move from their home in Duluth, Minnesota, to Pennsylvania, where her grandmother lives. Zora and Frankie are living with their grandmother while their mother is in the hospital. She keeps insisting she’s going to get better, but Zora wants her to face how sick she is. She draws Sick Mom, a realistic picture of how she looks in the hospital bed, and shows it to her mother.

That night, her grandmother gets the call from the hospital. Their mother died. Zora blames herself, thinking that it was the picture she drew that caused her death. She decides not to draw anymore. Then Frankie asks Zora if she’ll draw her a horse for her birthday. Zora tries, but she just can’t feel her Voom, so she traces one from one of Frankie’s horse books. But that just makes her feel worse, so she grabs her green pencil and starts to scribble all over it. Then she grabs one of her old drawings and scribbles that out too. And another. And another.

Frankie tries to stop her, but then the scribbles become real, growing out of the drawing, and coming for the sisters. As the scribbles get bigger and stronger, they wrap around the two sisters until they’re trapped. Zora doesn’t know what’s going on, and then she’s dropped, and she falls and falls and falls until she lands in something soft. Eventually she realizes it’s sand, but it’s not like any sand she’s ever seen before. As she pulls herself up, she realizes that it’s sand that she’s drawn. She tries to find Frankie, and the two of them look around. Everything is something that Zora has drawn.

She meets some of the creatures she’s drawn, from the hamsters in pajamas to a robot and a witch and so many horses. She finds out that they landed in Pencilvania, and it’s where all of Zora’s drawings go. It’s a place where they are happy. They play and dance and eat pancakes. But now there is a horse named Viscardi, a horse overtaken by the Scribs, who wants to destroy everything and everyone in Pencilvania.

The prophecy says that Zora will save them. That she is 200 feet tall and eats balloons and shoots lasers out of her eyes. But Zora knows that none of that is true. She’s not 200 feel tall. She doesn’t eat balloons. And her eyes don’t shoot lasers. And she doesn’t think she can save Pencilvania. She’s not even sure of she can herself and Frankie home.

But with her sister counting on her, with all the creatures she’s drawn needing her help, and knowing that both Super Mom and Sick Mom are somewhere in Pencilvania, Zora knows that if Pencilvania has any hope of surviving, it’s up to her. It is entirely her creation, after all. But will she be able to be The Girl of a Million Ideas who saves them all, or will she get scribbled out with all the rest of Pencilvania?

Author Stephanie Watson and illustrator Sofia Moore have created a powerful story of grief and healing in Pencilvania. These two sisters have their world turned upside down when they find out that their mother has cancer, and the changes to their lives that come from that leave them feeling lost and confused. Kids who have had to deal with major life changes, who have had to deal with a parent’s illness, who has dealt with grief will find understanding in these pages.

I thought Pencilvania was a really lovely story. The journey through the drawn universe, reminiscent of Milo’s journey in The Phantom Tollbooth or even Dorothy’s journey through Oz, is a lovely way of using Zora’s art to help her find healing and forgive herself for her last picture of her mother. This is not always an easy book to read, as the grief of these two sisters is heart-breaking, but the strength they find on their journey through Pencilvania is inspiring.

Egalleys for Pencilvania were provided by Sourcebooks Kids through NetGalley, with many thanks.

[Lin Salisbury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Stephanie Watson asked herself: what if everything you had ever drawn, from doodles to sketches came to life and went to live in a magical world? That, she says, is the big idea behind her newest middle grade novel, PENCILVANIA, illustrated by Sofia Moore. In this modern take on THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH meets HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON, Watson explores a child’s grief through a fantasy world of the child’s own creation.

Since she was little, Zora has liked to draw. Whenever she puts a marker, or a crayon, or a pencil to the page, something inside her takes over – her Voom – it starts as a single spark and grows to countless balls of light zooming around inside of her. Her mother, also an artist, recognizes her daughter’s gift and encourages her need to create. Art is the thing that most connects Zora to her mother . . . until she is diagnosed with leukemia. When she dies, Zora and her sister Frankie leave their beloved Lake Superior behind and move to Pittsburg to live with their Grandmother Wren. Though loving and well-intentioned, Grandmother Wren is ill-equipped to deal with the depth of Zora’s grief. In a fit of rage, Zora scribbles out her artwork and she and Frankie fall through the pages into a world comprised of all the animals and creatures Zora has ever drawn. Viscardi – a scribbled out horse – is determined to finish the destruction that Zora began. He kidnaps Frankie and Zora is challenged by her determination never to draw again – when drawing is the only thing left to save them.

Watson has a keen understanding of childhood grief. Her shimmering descriptions of Zora’s artful world and the animals that inhabit it are brought to life by Moore’s illustrations. Zora’s pain is palpable and may be overwhelming for sensitive readers, but her fierce devotion to her sister Frankie, coupled with her courage in the face of grief, will inspire young artists and encourage readers who have faced similar losses and challenges. The message of the power of love and art to heal the brokenhearted will transcend all generations.

I recommend Pencilvania for fans of Sheila O’Connor’s Sparrow Road and Counting by 7’s by Holly Goldberg Sloan.

This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews. Listen to my author interviews and read all my reviews on WTIP Radio, Grand Marais, Minnesota and www.superiorreads.blog.

[Elspeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a heart-wrenching, brilliantly creative book about grief and art.

Zora and Frankie’s mother promises them that she’ll recover from leukemia, so Zora is not only devastated when her mother dies, but she feels betrayed and angry, too. The two sisters move in with their grandmother, a relative stranger, and Zora is so heartbroken that even her passion for drawing vanishes. But when Zora and Frankie are magically transported to Pencilvania, the world composed of all the drawings Zora ever made, Zora has to grapple with her grief and decide the course of her life: Can she bring herself to draw again, if it means saving the loving and supportive citizens of Pencilvania from the power-hungry and evil horse Viscardi? If it means saving her sister? Like Harold and His Purple Crayon, Zora can draw her way out of problems, but the scale of the universe, and her powers within it, make this idea perhaps even more enchanting. It’s a truly lovely idea, that we might all have a Pencilvania of our own, filled with the friends we created as children.

As you would hope, the book is bursting with brilliant illustrations. Sofia Moore’s pictures are so endearing, showing not only Zora’s more sophisticated and experimental drawings, but also her early stick figures and scribbles. While reading, I was reminded so often of Lynda Barry’s thoughts about the aliveness of children’s drawings, their character and charm. To spend a few hours in a world of these drawings is a true pleasure, nostalgic and hopeful and sweet.

Some of the scenes are laugh-out-loud funny, and there are magical, lovable characters, too (Airrol the horse, for instance, and the baby-like Eeps). But the novel also aches with loss, with a feeling of real and intense grief, and several adorable Pencilvanians die. Even so, if you’re willing to shed a few tears, the payoff is terrific: Zora’s loss is immense, but her ultimate decision to embrace life and change is tremendously moving, too.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complimentary copy from Raincoast books for my review.

I have to admit that when I started Pencilvania I found it a wee bit odd.  I DID, and now that I've finished it, I still think it's a wee bit odd.  YET... I found myself wanting to finish it.  I wanted to know if Zora could find her way through her grief.  The need was there to see if other lines such as "I believe because I believe" could be found. 

My appreciation was deep for the variety in the drawings, seeing the progression from preschool artist through to middle school finesse. So much imagination, and within that imagination glimpses of truth spilling out in words spoken.   You could "hear" mom and Zora's life speaking through her creations. 

I was a bit alarmed for a while that Pencilvania would have an unhappy ending...but I suppose I shouldn't been.  Unhappy endings do not good reading make.  :)   Zora learns and grows, and grief begins to lessen as she learns more truth.  It takes time for grief to resolve so in turn she can help her sister Frankie. 

Should you buy it?  Mmmm... I think it's more of a book to borrow from your local library.  It feels like a book once read and done, unless you find it helpful in a healing journey. Would it be a good book to read if grief overwhelms, or if you know a friend who has shut down after loss and want to know how to help?   Would it be a good book just to read for fun?  FOR SURE...the illustrations bring it all to life and add so much fun to the read!

I don't know the books that this tome has been compared to, but pain and raw grief fill the pages. Over the life of the story gets worked through enough to be handled by the two girls. 

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from SOURCEBOOKS Kids through NetGalley.
Readers meet Zora and her younger sister, Frankie as their mom shares she has leukemia. Early on, they have to cope with their mother's death, moving to a different state, and living with a grandmother they don't know. Zora is a gifted artist who loses her ability with her mom's death. As the story unfolds, readers see why and take the journey with her as she finds a way to forgive herself and regain her desire and ability.
The fantasy element comes into play when the girls are pulled in to Pencilvania. After her anger overwhelms her, Zora begins destroying her drawings by scribbling over them. Much of the story takes place in this fantasy land made up of Zora's drawings come to life. Readers see how the various drawings stand for parts of healing for both Zora and Frankie. In the end, the two girls and their grandmother find a way to move forward forming a new unit together.
This was a quick and sweet read. I finished it in one sitting as the story flowed and the characters were realistic. Dealing with grief is a current theme in middle grade literature and this book strikes a sensitive tone.

[Leigh Buckner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an imaginative chapter book about two sisters who lose their mother to cancer. Zora and Frankie are devastated at their mother's death. Zora has always been artistic and expresses herself through drawing. She calls her creativity and abiblity to draw, her "Voom." After their mother's death, they found themselves in the imaginary world of all her drawings. They have to come together to fight off the villian in the imaginary world and find peace with their mother's death. Zora's find her "Voom" and is able to draw again.

As an upper elementary teacher, I found this book very hard to follow. In my opinion, it has way too many characters and a child would have a hard time keeping all of the characters straight while reading the book. Personally, I would not purchase a copy of this book for my classroom library.

You could use the book as a mentor text for talking about imagination, drawing, and vivid vocabulary though.

[Bookworm4Life · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since Zora Webb could remember she loved to draw. Her mother always encouraged her to follow her inner voice which she calls her "Voom." But then her mother gets really sick and after she passes away Zora and her little sister Frankie are sent to live with their grandma Wren in Pittsburgh.
Since her mother died, Zora's Voom has left her and no matter how hard she tries she can no longer draw in the way she once did. One fateful day, Zora scribbles out her artwork and vows to never create again. Her scribble lines end up opening a way into Pencilvania, a magical world full of everything Zora has ever drawn. And one drawing, a scribbled out horse called Viscardi, is determined to finish the destruction that Zora has started. He kidnaps Frankie and promises to scribble her and all of Pencilvania out by sunrise. It's up to Zora to save her sister and get her Voom back before Pencilvania is gone forever.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zora and her little sister are dealing with profound loss and trying to adjust to their new home with their grandmother. Instead of the outpouring of art and creative expression that Zora has been known for since she was old enough to hold a crayon, she is unable to draw. All she feels is sadness and rage and nothing anyone says or does is helping. Then she and her sister are pulled into the magic world of Pencilvania where her drawings come to life. All is not well there and Zora must find her "voom" to save her sister and get back into their world. Grief, family and creative expression are all central themes and the cute illustrations do much to add to the story. This feels like a hybrid graphic novel/fiction for younger middle grade readers and will appeal to those kids who are never without paper and a pencil. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zora’s journey to recover what she feels is lost within her—her creativity, nicknamed “Voom”—is encapsulated by her roamings through a world of her own making. While she travels through Pencilvania to aid her sister, she regains something of her lost joy, her willingness to trust and learns to accept that her mother’s awful death wasn’t her fault.

Reminiscent of A Monster Calls, Zora realizes that her mother is gone but she needn’t let it break her. Zora doesn’t grow up, exactly. (She’s just a kid, for goodness sake). But the churning and misery within her abate as she comprehends that life didn’t end when her mother did. She created a world with her craft and this book invites us to explore it with her.

[Ms. Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Art is something that Zora and her mother always shared. But now Zora's mother is gone, and she and her little sister, Frankie, are sent away to live with family. In a fit of rage, Zora starts scribbling through her drawings, little realizing that her drawings are no mere pictures: in the world of Pencilvania, they're reality. When Frankie disappears in Pencilvania, Zora must work together with her remaining drawings to stop the Scribble that threatens to erase everything for good.

This reminded me of The Phantom Tollbooth in the way that they're both unexpectedly charming isekai stories. If you like art, ever wished your drawings were real, or have ever wanted to visit another world, try this book.

[Dana]

Thank you to Sourcebooks Young Readers for the gifted ebook of Pencilvania! All opinions in this review are my own.

Pencilvania was described as a cross between The Phantom Tollbooth and Harold and the Purple Crayon. These are two of my childhood favorites so I was immediately excited to read it. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to that comparison for me. While I liked the concept of Pencilvania, the world felt underdeveloped. I was expecting Zora and Frankie to spend more time in Pencilvania, but a lot of the story is told in the real world and in flashbacks. I wanted to like it, but it just wasn't for me.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I anticipated this book being a sweet fantasy about a girl's drawings coming to life. Yes, it is that, especially with the variety of drawings that Zora encounters from her very first drawings of people (the Eeeps, potato people) to her latest sketches. But what I didn't expect but really appreciated was the story of coming to terms with death and grief from losing a parent. Turning her drawings into scribbles and then seeing how that affects her other drawings when she enters the land of Pencilvania truly makes these ideas accessible to kids. And Frankie is a a character you can't help but love

[Karey Crain · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library based solely on the beautiful cover, and didn’t read anything about it before I dove in with my 7 year old. If I had known what was coming in the first two chapters (the death of Zora’s mom), I probably wouldn’t have read it to him, but I’m glad I did! He had lots of questions about cancer and death, but couldn’t wait to keep going. Zora’s journey through the world of her drawings is a journey through her own grief, anger, guilt and fear. We found this really engaging and read several chapters each night and several during a thunderstorm to finish in record time (for us on a read aloud!).

[Pamela Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book for kids - not quite as interesting to adults as some middle-grade books. I keep waffling between 3 and 4 stars and will round up.

I kind of read it by accident. The library was selling it cheap and I bought if for my daughter and then looked at it and got hooked.

It's full of good stuff about art and grief and anger and adjustment. 12-year-old Zora draws amazing things - some cute, some funny, others really powerful. She has to use her creative gift, her love, and her wits to rescue herself and her little sister.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was heavy, especially for a middle grade novel, and I felt it handled the heaviness exceptionally well. The two young protagonists have a wonderful situation with their single mom until she dies from cancer. That breaks their world in multiple ways and their trip to Pencilvania pushes them to work through some of that. It will be a great read for kids with friends who lost a parent but it’s also just a great read.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different concept for a book. What if everything you ever drew became its own little world? When Zora’s mom dies, she loses the inspiration to draw—one thing she shared with her mom. In anger, she scribbles out her old drawings. When the drawings suck her into the drawing world, she has to make things right, including coming to peace with her mom’s death and her current situation.
The drawings keep things interesting.

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such an emotional journey as a little girl goes through the stages of grief and comes to terms with her mother's death. I thought this was an imaginative way to handle the topic of grief and loss. I also thought that the illustrations were stunning.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book. This is my honest review.

[Deena Abutaha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a great tale about overcoming grief and about family. Zora's journey through Pencilvania helps her overcome the all-encompassing grief left over from her mother's death and helps in accepting the changes in her life.

For a more detailed review check out my blog : https://mlinamman.blogspot.com

*This review is based on a copy I received from NetGalley for an honest review.

[Jesse Baggs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book takes on some big emotions but doesn’t quite succeed. There is a really powerful part where the main character, recently orphaned and overcome with emotion, scribbles over her old drawings, but the rest is fairly standard stuff where kids explore a fantasy world that is a metaphor for their problems. DNF.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this book and the story, I just didn’t feel like it was well written. My 8 y/o complained at how each chapter ended - which is not something he does. It just wasn’t engaging. At the end, everything was pretty much done, yet it droned on for 5 more chapters. Wouldn’t recommend.

[Megan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description compares it to The Phantom Tollbooth, and it's not wrong--as I read this book, I kept thinking it reminded me of that! Nice to know it was intentional. A sweet story, and I liked the illustrations throughout. The kids will eat this up.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make an absolutely fantastic animated children's tv series.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was drawn to this due the concept of a world in which drawings come to life. What I found was a gentle, charming, sad-yet-hopeful story of grief and life after loss. Imaginative and well executed

[Katelynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read. Love the “realistic for a kid” illustrations. Great story about processing grief.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids really enjoyed this book. For me, some of the writing felt a little cumbersome. But the plot and characters were creative and fun!