by Brendan Wenzel
56 pages; ages 3-5
Chronicle Books, 2019
theme: nature, perception
A stone sat still / with water, grass, and dirt
and it was as it was / where it was in the world.
The stone was dark, light, smooth, rough, red, green, purple, blue – at least to the different animals that come upon the stone. Each perceives the stone based on how they interact with it.
What I like about this book: I love how Brendan Wenzel looks at a stone from so many points of view. For an ant following a pheromone trail, the stone is part of a map. For a tiny red mite surrounded by a slimy snail trail, the stone becomes a maze. I like how time passes, and the stone – once a landmark for migrating birds – is worn by age, surrounded by water, adopted by an ocean.
Beyond the Books:
Find a rock or stone on one of your travels. Maybe it is in a park, or your back yard. Sit with that stone and explore its texture, its size. If it is big, are there small creatures climbing on it? Are lichens or plants growing on it?
Get to know the rocks in your backyard. Here’s a good place to start.
Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.
This took a while to grow on me, but in the end I found ti beautiful and meditative.
ReplyDeleteIt is quiet, like a stone, and a wonderful meditative piece.
DeleteLike this quiet story. Encourages readers to contemplate and not rush through the book.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a good "living in the moment" book.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. Loved the art, loved the ideas.
ReplyDelete