The Magic Pencil is a British Council touring exhibition of illustrations selected by Quentin Blake, the distinguished children's author, illustrator and first Children's Laureate. The UK has a celebrated history of innovative book design and illustration.

The exhibition shows how today's illustrators reflect contemporary concerns with originality and force. Thirteen illustrators are included in the exhibition. Many are well known, others represent new and varied ways of approaching book illustration.

The exhibition opened in the UK at the Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in May 2002 and subsequently showed at the British Library in London from November 2002 to March 2003.

A facsimile exhibition has also been produced that includes a selection of illustrations taken from the Magic Pencil exhibition. This is now available for schools in Argentina to borrow.

What does the exhibition pack include?

• 30 books and 30 prints.
• You will find activities for children on the Magic Pencil website.
• The Magic Pencil website offers information on each of the artists in the exhibition. You will also find a link to the introduction Quentin Blake wrote for the Magic Pencil catalogue.
• Teaching materials in English on storytelling by Cristina Grondona White and Graciela Moyano. If you would like a copy, please contact us.
• Teaching materials in Spanish on illustration in Argentina and the UK, with specific references to Magic Pencil. These are available on our website.

Books and prints

There is a list of books and prints available to stage a Magic Pencil exhibition. All prints are 36cm x 46cm, landscape or portrait. Please note that the prints have no text, except for the name of the illustrator or the artist (in English). Browse the list of books and prints available here. All books and tapes are in English

How can you access it?

The British Council Argentina can send you the exhibition pack at no cost.  Please contact us.

How can you use it?

The Magic Pencil exhibition pack can be used in a number of ways. A few are suggested in the teaching materials on illustration and the Magic Pencil website, but those teaching young learners will probably think of many other ways of using it.