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ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: Pencil & Eraser
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.jennyabooks.com/
CITY: Palm Bay
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
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RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Miami, Florida; engaged; children: son.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Author-illustrator of children’s picture books and graphic novels.
AVOCATIONS:Crafts.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2024, review of Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!; July 1, 2024, review of Agent Unicorn; February 15, 2025, review of Pencil & Eraser: Lost and Frown!.
School Library Journal, August 2024, Emilia Packard, review of Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!.
ONLINE
Jenny Alvarado website, https://www.jennyabooks.com/ (September 1, 2025).
Latinx in Publishing, https://latinxinpublishing.com/ (October 15, 2024), Amaris Castillo, “Author Q&A: ‘Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!’”
Jenny Alvarado Author Photo.jpg
Hey Everyone!
Jenny Alvarado is an author-illustrator of numerous humorous books from picture books to graphic novels. She was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is currently living on the Space Coast with her fiancé, son and little dog. When she’s not working on books, she can be found volunteering at her son’s school or working on her latest craft mess.
Author Q&A: ‘Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!’ by Jenny Alvarado
October 15, 2024 Author Interviews
It’s the start of a new school year, and Pencil and Eraser face their first big dilemma. Pencil is dull. As in, her point is the opposite of sharp.
Pencil, who almost always exudes joy, panics.
“What should I do?” she asks Eraser, a stout white-and-pink curmudgeon.
“Sharpen up,” Eraser says.
“That is a great idea!” Pencil shouts, picking up Eraser for a hug.
So begins Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma! – the first book in a new early-reader graphic novel series by Jenny Alvarado. Out now from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, this imaginative story is equal parts hilarious and endearing as readers join Pencil and Eraser on an epic adventure to find a sharpener. The author-illustrator threads in joke breaks in between some chapters for additional laughs. A special touch comes at the end, with tutorials from Alvarado on how young readers can draw Pencil and Eraser themselves.
The second book in the series – Pencil & Eraser: Lost and Frown! – is slated to release next year.
Latinx in Publishing spoke with Alvarado about how this series came to be, developing her memorable characters, and more.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Amaris Castillo: Congratulations on Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma! What inspired this book?
Jenny Alvarado (JA): It started off as a picture book idea – completely different from what it is now. I had this idea of a very mean eraser that would erase everybody’s writing. And then it slowly transformed into an early reader (book). He’s still not nice, but he’s not as mean as he was in the picture book idea that I had. And he needed a character that would pretty much be the opposite of him, which became Pencil. She’s super joyful and exuberant.
AC: Now that you have the first book out from this series, do you look at your pencils and erasers the same?
JA: Oh no, they’re very different now. [Laughs] I was looking at the initial sketches of when I had the picture book idea, and even their design has changed completely. Their personalities, their design, everything changed from the initial idea.
“
I had this idea of a very mean eraser that would erase everybody’s writing. And then it slowly transformed into an early reader (book). He’s still not nice, but he’s not as mean as he was in the picture book idea that I had.
AC: Your book centers on Pencil, who loves thrills and is super optimistic. And then there’s Eraser, who is a big grump and a curmudgeon. Can you talk about the development of these characters?
JA: I usually start out with a drawing. That’s how I get most of my ideas. I think of the character first, and then I build the world around them. Obviously their world is school, for the most part. I see what I feel they’re like when I draw them.
AC: I love the humor in this book. Your characters are an entertaining pair, and you have these joke breaks in between a few of the chapters, which are punny. As the author and illustrator, what role did you want humor to play in this book – and in the overall series?
JA: I wanted it to be the main component. I love funny. I want most of my books to be funny and humorous. And I’m obsessed with puns. I don’t know if that came across but, yes, I love puns. I love doing drawings of puns, like vegetable puns and all sorts of things.
AC: What are you hoping readers take away from Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma?
JA: I hope they enjoy it. I hope it’s fun. There’s not really a huge message in it, except for sticking with your friend. I just hope they enjoy it – that they laugh and enjoy the jokes. I’ve been getting some parents tell me that their kids have been drawing Pencil and Eraser because there’s a little how-to-draw (exercise) at the end. I love seeing all their drawings.
AC: Why doesn’t Pencil have her own eraser?
JA: [Laughs] Because she needs her Eraser. If she had an eraser, then she won’t need Eraser.
AC: [Laughs] That’s so funny.
JA: When I think of her, I think of those little lottery pencils that don’t have an eraser at the end.
AC: That is really funny, because I actually just realized she’s not like a regular school pencil, because she would have the eraser on her bottom. Well, you know what? In that case, I’m really glad she has Eraser in her life. [Laughs] I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me about your book.
JA: I really appreciate chatting with you.
Jenny Alvarado is an author and illustrator of books for kids. She lives in Palm Bay, Florida with her family and little pup. As far as she knows, her real life pencil and eraser don’t go on adventures but she likes to imagine that they do. You can find more of her work at www.JennyAbooks.com or follow her @JennyAbooks on social.
Amaris Castillo is an award-winning journalist, writer, and the creator of Bodega Stories, a series featuring real stories from the corner store. Her writing has appeared in La Galería Magazine, Aster(ix) Journal, Spanglish Voces, PALABRITAS, Dominican Moms Be Like… (part of the Dominican Writers Association’s #DWACuenticos chapbook series), and most recently Quislaona: A Dominican Fantasy Anthology and Sana, Sana: Latinx Pain and Radical Visions for Healing and Justice. Her short story, “El Don,” was a prize finalist for the 2022 Elizabeth Nunez Caribbean-American Writers’ Prize by the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival. She is a proud member of Latinx in Publishing’s Writers Mentorship Class of 2023 and lives in Florida with her family.
Alvarado, Jenny PENCIL & ERASER Putnam (Children's None) $12.99 9, 10 ISBN: 9780593699768
Do pencils have lives of their own? Yes, though at times they may seem pointless.
Shockingly, Pencil is dull. Not dull as in "uninteresting" but dull as in "needs sharpening." Pencil dramatically imagines owner Stella (represented by a brown hand) rejecting such a useless writing implement. Eraser's terse advice: "Sharpen up." But how will they get from Stella's classroom desk all the way to the sharpener on the teacher's desk? Pencil (briefly sporting a fedora) narrates in the style of an old-fashioned adventure tale. Reserved, laconic Eraser finds the voluble and excited Pencil a bit overwhelming, and, faced with Pencil's multi-step plan, Eraser rubs it out in favor of a simpler idea: They'll use the teacher's chair to climb up (a scene that mostly occurs off the page). Alas! The sharpener is broken. After taking one of several groan-worthy joke breaks, they look for another sharpener. Once more, Pencil has plenty of far-fetched ideas, all of which Eraser dismisses. Will they ever find the coveted sharpener? Very simple drawings depict Pencil as tall and skinny, with fluttery eyelashes; short, stumpy Eraser is pink and white, with cynical half-lidded eyes. The faces are expressive and the typeface clear. While the tale's a bit light on action, the duo's comic interplay is sure to win over readers.
A tame adventure tale but a warm buddy story. (drawing instructions) (Early graphic fiction. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Alvarado, Jenny: PENCIL & ERASER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332880/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d7a67c29. Accessed 27 July 2025.
Alvarado, Jenny AGENT UNICORN Page Street (Children's None) $18.99 9, 17 ISBN: 9781645678984
A blue unicorn detective proves to be a bit green behind the ears.
A big fan of TV's Agent Sparrow, Unicorn responds to a "help wanted" ad from the Agent Goat Detective Agency. Though the job's less than glamorous--it involves wiping windows and sweeping--Unicorn sees it as a stepping stone to becoming a full-fledged agent, complete with the requisite jacket and gadgetry. When a client walks in searching for a missing pet bird, Unicorn immediately takes the case, qualifications or no. Nothing will prevent Unicorn from solving the case, not even Goat constantly calling over the radio to ask about Unicorn's whereabouts. Though the missing pet pops up right away, Unicorn mistakes the bird for a rabbit but allows the "bunny" to tag along. Unicorn has a lot to learn about actual detective work but is willing to atone for making humorously oblivious mistakes. Eventually, Unicorn realizes that humility is a more important quality than possessing the right uniform and gadgets. Made up of graphic novel-esque panels, the cartoon artwork is full of details that encourage careful viewing. Goat mentions needing to find a missing yo-yo and a lost llama; attentive readers will be rewarded by a glimpse of the llama walking off with the yo-yo. References to Agent Sparrow appear throughout the story, often as background details.
An accidental training day where doing the right thing beats flashy appearances. (Picture book. 4-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Alvarado, Jenny: AGENT UNICORN." Kirkus Reviews, 1 July 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799332922/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=baa2fc12. Accessed 27 July 2025.
ALVARADO, Jenny. Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma! illus. by Jenny Alvarado. 80p. Putnam. Sept. 2024. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780593699768.
K-Gr 2--Classroom life has plenty of challenges, and in this goofy graphic novel, this sentiment extends even to the simplest of school supplies: the familiar, unobtrusive pencil and eraser. With a reader-directed rapport that establishes Pencil as a high-energy jokester and Eraser as a practical foil, the heart of the dilemma is quickly revealed--Pencil's point is dull and she fears being rendered useless to her student-owner Stella. She dons an adventurer's brown, brimmed hat and enlists Eraser in her quest to seek out a functional sharpener. Will Pencil's point be restored before Stella returns and finds her gone? It's not exactly nail-bitingly intense, but the rapport between the pair is intriguing--for every goofy, concerned, sad, or ecstatic expression Pencil makes, Eraser responds with a perpetually neutral, if slightly world-weary, expression. Even when Pencil takes designated "Joke Breaks" in each chapter, Eraser remains, hilariously, unmoved. Nevertheless, their friendship and teamwork persists, encouraging young readers to chuckle and groan their way through this simple and fun story. Alvarado's illustrations move smoothly between conversational and active moments, colored in pleasant primary hues reminiscent of the aesthetics of elementary education. VERDICT Active and funny, Pencil and Eraser's adventures are good for a giggle and cute to boot.--Emilia Packard
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Packard, Emilia. "ALVARADO, Jenny. Pencil & Eraser: We Have a Dull-Emma!" School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 8, Aug. 2024, p. 87. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A806586305/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0b8642d7. Accessed 27 July 2025.
Alvarado, Jenny PENCIL & ERASER Putnam (Children's None) $12.99 5, 6 ISBN: 9780593699812
Teamwork triumphs for these clashing but complementary characters in their second outing.
Sheer excitement propels long-lashed, perennially enthusiastic Pencil right out of brown-skinned Stella's backpack and onto the sidewalk. Today is Stella's karate class, and Pencil can't wait. Nobly, the squat, saturnine, but soft-hearted Eraser jumps to join Pencil. As their unaware owner disappears in the distance, Pencil gives an anguished cry that will elicit smiles from knowing adult readers: "STELLAAA!" Luckily, Eraser has a map, and Pencil airily dismisses the pair's second problem: Where on the map are they? Pencil does worry when some squirrels offer to help--squirrels love to make things out of wood. The two make an abrupt exit from the squirrels' home ("Ninja jump!"), and Pencil begs to take a detour into the arcade. Pencil accidentally gets Eraser stuck in a claw machine, but Eraser makes it out unharmed. Finally they reach the dojo in time to applaud Stella and to follow Pencil's elaborate plan to return to Stella's backpack. These slight but easy-reading adventures, with subtle but effective characterization, fill four brief chapters, with some joke breaks that Eraser concedes are "kinda funny." Cartoon graphics have minimal backgrounds, and final pages outline steps to draw them.
Another engaging adventure following tiny but intrepid heroes as they surmount minor mishaps.(Early graphic fiction. 5-8)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Alvarado, Jenny: PENCIL & ERASER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A827101114/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c165a471. Accessed 27 July 2025.