When I was a kid, my dad would take the family out on rock-hunting expeditions. Sometimes we looked for topaz, fossils, and other treasured stones we could bring home. Other times we’d explore the spectacular geological wonders in our backyard: Bryce Canyon, Arches, Zion, the Grand Canyon. Now I live in a place where receding glaciers left moraines and drumlins. So I thought I share two wonderful books about rocks and landforms.
Themes: rocks, geology, erosion
Themes: rocks, geology, erosion
by Heather Ferranti Kinser
32 pages; ages 5-9
Millbrook Press, 2023
Nature is a sculptor. With water, ice, and wind…
…it etches and scrapes, carves and molds canyons and cliffs, arches and columns. This combination of lyrical writing and spectacular photographs might leave you wanting to head out on a car trip to see whatever rock formations you’ve got nearby.
What I like about this book: I love the photos – you can armchair tour national parks from around the country. There’s back matter, too, that tells more about weathering, erosion, and deposition. Another section describes nature’s tools: wind, water, and ice. And there’s a sculpture gallery that explains more about each type of feature, from hoodoos to half dome.
32 pages; ages 5-9
Millbrook Press, 2023
Nature is a sculptor. With water, ice, and wind…
…it etches and scrapes, carves and molds canyons and cliffs, arches and columns. This combination of lyrical writing and spectacular photographs might leave you wanting to head out on a car trip to see whatever rock formations you’ve got nearby.
What I like about this book: I love the photos – you can armchair tour national parks from around the country. There’s back matter, too, that tells more about weathering, erosion, and deposition. Another section describes nature’s tools: wind, water, and ice. And there’s a sculpture gallery that explains more about each type of feature, from hoodoos to half dome.
A Stone Is a Story
by Leslie Barnard Booth; illus. by Marc Martin
40 pages, ages 4-8
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023
A stone is not just a stone. A stone is a story.
And it’s an adventure story. Imagine being shot from a volcano, wrenched apart by roots, molded and carved and swept out to sea! This is another take of water, wind, and ice that mold a chunk of rock into something you might tuck in your pocket and take out to tell a story about one day.
What I like about this book: The language is lyrical and captivating, and pulls you under its spell even while it tells a story of geology and the rock cycle. It will make you want to put a pebble in your pocket! Back matter explains rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) along with this challenge:
Now go forth and
do what geologists do!
Step outside, look around, and start asking
questions about the rocks and landscapes
in your part of the world.
I always want to know more about how an author comes to their book. Heather was kind enough to answer One Question:
Me: What made you want to write about erosion as a tool for creating beauty?
by Leslie Barnard Booth; illus. by Marc Martin
40 pages, ages 4-8
Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2023
A stone is not just a stone. A stone is a story.
And it’s an adventure story. Imagine being shot from a volcano, wrenched apart by roots, molded and carved and swept out to sea! This is another take of water, wind, and ice that mold a chunk of rock into something you might tuck in your pocket and take out to tell a story about one day.
What I like about this book: The language is lyrical and captivating, and pulls you under its spell even while it tells a story of geology and the rock cycle. It will make you want to put a pebble in your pocket! Back matter explains rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) along with this challenge:
Now go forth and
do what geologists do!
Step outside, look around, and start asking
questions about the rocks and landscapes
in your part of the world.
I always want to know more about how an author comes to their book. Heather was kind enough to answer One Question:
Me: What made you want to write about erosion as a tool for creating beauty?
Heather: Thanks for the question, Sue! I was first inspired by a look through the Next Generation Science Standards for educational topics to write about. The standards for "Earth's Systems" sent me in the direction of weathering and erosion, and I was able to write a lovely ode to rock formations, based on my own admiration for all things stony. But it was my editor at Lerner/Millbrook, Carol Hinz, who nudged me to include more information about weathering and erosion processes within the manuscript. Incorporating a greater level of detail while still maintaining a spare and lyrical text was a tall order. But I'm delighted with the result, and with the way Carol pushed me to ensure that the book would offer teachers a valuable curriculum tie-in.
Step outside and look around. What questions do you have about the landscape around you? Write them down. Then find the answers. Our big question one year was how did fossils end up on top of our hill?
Explore a place that nature has sculpted. It might be a rocky shore, or a waterfall, sandy dunes or a canyon. Maybe it’s a weird-shaped hill at the far end of town left behind by the last glacier, or some kettle ponds.
When you visit the ocean or a lake or a mountain, keep a lookout for an interesting stone. Something that tells the story of the place. You might even find a wonderful stone while digging in the garden or looking for frogs down at the local stream.
Heather and Leslie are both members of #STEAMTeam2023. You can find out more about them at their websites, www.heatherkinser.com and www.lesliebarnardbooth.com
Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers or Edelweiss.
I'm a huge fan of both of these books. Both are lyrical. One with exquisite photos, and the other with gorgeous illustrations. I can see them being used together in the classroom.
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