Ever wonder why your pencil is yellow? This Betcha Didn’t Know uncovers the surprisingly colorful history behind that familiar classroom classic! Learn how a 19th-century marketing idea, inspired by Chinese royalty and launched at the 1889 World’s Fair, turned yellow into the world’s signature pencil color. From school buses to taxi cabs, Joy Randle connects the dots between psychology, science, and design—and even explains why “pencil lead” isn’t lead at all. Grab your No. 2 and get ready to take notes—you’ll never see a pencil the same way again!