by Laura Purdie Salas; illus by Violeta Dabija
32 pages; ages 4-7
Millbrook Press, 2015
theme: environment, poetry
A rock is a rock.
It's sand, pebble, stone.
Each rock tells a story,
a tale all its own.
I love Laura Purdie Salas's "can be" series (Water Can Be, A Leaf Can Be) so I was excited to see a new book about rocks. What fun! A rock can be a mountain, a fountain, a skimmer, a trimmer.
What I
I also love the back matter - four pages in which Salas explains how rocks are used to make fountains and play games, and how rocks are formed deep within the earth and erupt as lava. I love that there's a glossary and further reading (including a Rock and Minerals guide). What fun!
Beyond the Book:
Go on a Rock Hunt. There are rocks everywhere: at the beach, along the roadside, in a river, or in your backyard. Collect a few different kinds and look at them closely. What colors are they? Are they smooth or rough? Do they sparkle? What do they look like when they're wet?
Find out what your state rock - or mineral - is. My state rock is garnet.
Find out more about volcanoes. Here's a video of how volcanoes erupt (by USGS)
Dig for fossils. We often find brachiopods and crinoid stems in our garden. Some, luckier people, find trilobites or bits of dinosaur bone in their back yards.
Take a field trip - to a museum or mineral show. Draw a picture of any interesting rocks you find.
Dance to rock music. This doesn't have anything to do with geology, but your parents will be delighted if you ask them to turn on the radio to their favorite rock station and show you a few cool moves.
This book really captures your imagination and makes you think. Rocks are all around us. Such a great subject for kids and I know they will have fun with it. The illustrations look wonderful! Love the other books by the author. Great activity suggestions.
ReplyDeleteTerrific activities! This is what I love about nonfiction!
ReplyDeleteThe "Can Be" series is very special. Thank you for the wonderful activity suggestions to accompany it.
ReplyDeleteI want to read it based on that first stanza. Indeed, very lyrical.
ReplyDeleteMy family are rockhounds. I need to go on a fossil hunt again sometime. . .
ReplyDeleteGreat activities!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great pick!
ReplyDeleteOh very cool! I'm pinning and going to look for the series. They'll be perfect for my class of grade ones.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this post and review, Sue! I love the activities you suggested. And the kind comments made my day, everyone--thanks:>)
ReplyDelete