Amato's debut features two writing tools with opposing dispositions: a yellow pencil and a pink, stand-alone eraser.One likes to make marks; the other delights in eradication. Can this end well? Clean, white backgrounds set the stage for opening strokes and smudges easily removed. The eraser exhibits confidence, but the writing implement picks up speed, creating—in rapid succession—an impudent caricature of its nemesis, a cyclone, an army of menacing pencils, and a forest that becomes so thick it's essentially solid black. Stumped, the eraser eventually swipes at the darkness. Although the attempts leave residual texture, the effect is pleasing. A sun created by erasing leads to a galaxy, and the neatnik eraser directs a newly hewn rocket onto a fresh page, exclaiming, "Eat my dust!" Soon, however, the devilish drawer is at it again. The eraser's response—rubbed-away letters forming the book's title—reveals that this strategy brings peace with the duo's differences (and that their interactions are actually enjoyed). Employing a controlled palette for the digitally manipulated photographs and hand drawings, Amato maintains interest by animating a few deft lines into ever changing facial expressions and by varying the page designs from panels to full spreads. Surprisingly, the pencil doesn't have any lines to speak; the eraser does all the talking, albeit in brief comments.Children will be amused by the relationship and intrigued with the technique, comprehending that one can draw with a pencil and an eraser—and that opposites can co-exist. (Picture book. 3-9)

An eraser stands confidently against a blank white page, asserting it's "just the way I like it." However, a pencil believes otherwise, popping in and drawing "squiggles" here and "smudges" there, until annoyed Eraser chases Pencil away ("No pencil can mess with me"). But playful Pencil's sticking around d, after some humorous sketches, the writing utensil gradually fills the whole page with graphite. Poor Eraser's dismayed ("I'll never be able to fix all of this!"), but the pink polyhedron's movements create shapes in Pencil's mess, like a sun, planets, and a spaceship to escape the slate-gray page. However, back on unblemished paper, could Eraser be bored? Thankfully, Pencil returns, and, working together, they happily make something special. Eraser's commentary and exhortations make up the bulk of the spare, lively text, while Amato's illustrations combination of hand-drawn elements and photos of the eraser and pencil tfully tell the story with wry, wordless panels and droll touches of humor, all nicely conveyed with only a few lines. This entertaining debut celebrates collaboration, creativity, and how even complete opposites can eventually be friends.

A narrating pink eraser is no fan of messes. When a yellow pencil creates visual havoc--its charcoal-gray lines and shadings are the book's only other color--the eraser hides in a pencil-sketched forest. The eraser feels trapped ("I'll never be able to fix all of this!") until it realizes a creative workaround. The book's lessons (accept imperfection, work collaboratively) are unsubtle but worthwhile.

Amato's debut features two writing tools with opposing dispositions: a yellow pencil and a pink, stand-alone eraser.One likes to make marks; the other delights in eradication. Can this end well? Clean, white backgrounds set the stage for opening strokes and smudges easily removed. The eraser exhibits confidence, but the writing implement picks up speed, creating—in rapid succession—an impudent caricature of its nemesis, a cyclone, an army of menacing pencils, and a forest that becomes so thick it's essentially solid black. Stumped, the eraser eventually swipes at the darkness. Although the attempts leave residual texture, the effect is pleasing. A sun created by erasing leads to a galaxy, and the neatnik eraser directs a newly hewn rocket onto a fresh page, exclaiming, "Eat my dust!" Soon, however, the devilish drawer is at it again. The eraser's response—rubbed-away letters forming the book's title—reveals that this strategy brings peace with the duo's differences (and that their interactions are actually enjoyed). Employing a controlled palette for the digitally manipulated photographs and hand drawings, Amato maintains interest by animating a few deft lines into ever changing facial expressions and by varying the page designs from panels to full spreads. Surprisingly, the pencil doesn't have any lines to speak; the eraser does all the talking, albeit in brief comments.Children will be amused by the relationship and intrigued with the technique, comprehending that one can draw with a pencil and an eraser—and that opposites can co-exist. (Picture book. 3-9)