A young artist expresses the power of his pen, the strength of his heart, and the wilds of his imagination through pictures and words as he draws and writes about everything he is able to do with pen in hand. The sketchbook feel of the illustrations, which are black-and-white and range widely in subject, brings an anything-is-possible, what-will-come-next feel to a picture book whose intent is shaped by words. “My pen worries about all the wars in the world, then tells everyone I love that I love them….My pen tells stories in the margins of the page, but it doesn’t always get it right.” Myers’s exploration of creativity affirms that this, too, is part of what it means to be an artist—struggling and searching in a book that ends by encouraging other young artists to explore the “million worlds” inside their own pens. (Ages 6–9)

My pen rides dinosaurs
and hides an elephant in a teacup.

What can your pen do?

Acclaimed author and illustrator Christopher Myers uses rich black-and-white illustrations to bring a sketchbook to life, showing that with a simple pen, a kid can do anything!