GENRE: Humor, SEL
WORDS: 402
Query:
Dear agent,
What happens when an eraser decides mistakes aren’t for him and starts erasing everything? Can paper and pencil do the work? Can tape hold it all together?
In Rub (402 words), an angry eraser learns the value of mistakes during his first weeks of school. But Rub isn’t just frustrated by the mess — he’s anxious about being responsible for everyone else’s mistakes. When he decides the only solution is to erase everything, right or wrong, who will pay the price?
This witty school-supply story combines the anthropomorphic charm of The Day the Crayons Quit with the emotional arc of The Bad Seed, but explores something neither does alone: the anxiety of a child who feels personally accountable when things go wrong. Rub isn’t a troublemaker; he’s a perfectionist overwhelmed by the pressure to fix everything. That’s a feeling many young readers know well.
As a mother, I’ve watched my daughters tie themselves in knots over not being good enough. Rub speaks to the helpers and perfectionists, showing them that mistakes aren’t theirs to carry alone and that working through them together is how we all grow.
I am an architect turned artist and writer living in Massachusetts, currently pursuing a MFA in Printmaking at MassArt. My work has always been kid-centered having designed learning materials and app interfaces for child-focused brands such as Root Robotics. As a member of SCBWI New England, I am passionate about the stories and imagery that brings them alive.
My portfolio can be found at https://www.findinglarks.com/illustrationandgraphics and on Instagram via @findinglarks where I post my work in printmaking, painting, and illustration.
Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Excerpt:
Rub had a sharp new haircut for the first day of school.
It’s hard to make new friends. “What if everyone thinks I’m not good enough,” worried Rub.
Mistakes and erasers were like peanut butter and jelly – always together. It was so stressful to clean up anything wrong, while everyone watched.
On Monday Rub found cat was misspelled. “Quicker! I have to get this done before lunch,” pushed Pencil.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
Rub began with my daughter’s kindergarten “publish your own book” kit. She wrote and illustrated a story about an angry eraser who erased his friends when he got mad and had to learn to manage his emotions. I always loved it. As an anxiety-driven perfectionist myself, I recognized something deeper in that little eraser: the fear of not being good enough, the pressure to fix everything. Her story became mine as I turned it into a book focusing on what happens when you let your anger take over and how you can find your way back.
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