DESCRIPTION
When Leo opens his birthday presents, he receives an amazing gift: a pen! Inside it, Papa says, are many beautiful things. But how do you get them out? None of his friends can guess. Super-Zombo doesn’t get anywhere by blowing on it, and Coco-Tembo thinks it’s too tiny to hold anything important. Maybe Leo’s mama will know how to reveal all the wonders inside…
This warm, charming story is a perfect introduction to the joy of writing. Like Leo, young readers will discover how a simple utensil can express all the words in the world—even one’s own name.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy Bell Award in WRITE (2023)
REVIEWS
Kirkus Reviews
“A beautiful look at the wonder of creativity and self-expression. Not to be missed!”
School Library Journal
“A wonderful title to include in collections, teaching children to find the gifts they hold inside.”
Booklist
“The Cameroonian author and French illustrator imbue the animal characters with recognizable warm family relationships along with appealing, unexpected touches of whimsy.”
The Wall Street Journal
“An appealing picture book . . . relates a child’s discovery of written language by way of a storytelling pattern that will feel pleasantly familiar.”
The Horn Book Magazine
“The simple figures and bold hues on clean white backgrounds give the book a friendly, open feel. Along with the heartfelt message, the story and pictures contain touches of humor. . . . This is Cameroonian writer and poet Dzotap’s first book to be translated into English, and it will be welcomed on preschool and kindergarten shelves.”