• My Pen
• written and illustrated by Christopher Myers
• published by Disney Hyperion (2015)
• Roar Score: 5/5

There are a million pens in the world
and each one has a million words inside it.

I’ll admit, stories that tap into the power of imagination hit a soft spot for me. Particularly when the gateway to imagination is creativity and art. It should come as no surprise, then, that My Pen zeroed right in on that soft spot.

The message of this fantastic book is a beautiful one.

This book made it into my pile from this year’s Book Expo, and I’m sure glad it did! Written from the perspective of a young artist, the book shows that literally anything is possible when you have a pen. You can put giants in the palm of your hand, ride dinosaurs, sail around the world, or wear the craziest pair of sneakers imaginable.

Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll find that it’s about more than merely the power of imagination. More than the importance of freedom and creativity.

It’s about the ability each of us has — though it may be buried inside — that allows us to overcome our fears and embark on adventure. It’s about the ability to recognize (and worry about) frightening things that wait out there in the real world but not be limited by them. It’s about the ability to open our arms and embrace that world with warmth and love.

Like most picture books, this one is a swift 30-some pages. But it packs a punch with only a few words. And, like I said, it delivers a lovely message that can’t be repeated often enough.

And the art is fantastic. Myers has drawn beautiful, intricately detailed images with — what else? — a pen. The art is all black and white, and each illustration is composed of delicate lines and hatches that create surprising depth and emotion.

Bravo. This one is highly recommended.