January 7 – Old Rock Day

About the Holiday

Do you love rocks—the history they tell, their versatility, intricate patterns, and glorious colors? Today’s holiday celebrates these wonders of nature and encourages geologists—both professionals and amateurs—to indulge their passion. You can learn a bit more about the history of the study of rocks, the first use of the term “geology,” and on to more modern times at NationalToday. To celebrate today’s holiday, take a walk in your backyard or neighborhood, pick up a few rocks, and research a little more about them. Then have fun with today’s craft.

Thank you to G. P. Putnam’s Sons for sharing a copy of Old Rock (is not boring) with me for review consideration. All opinions on the book are my own.

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

It seemed that Old Rock had been sitting in the same spot forever. Tall Pine and Spotted Beetle thought being a rock must be pretty boring. Hummingbird wondered, “‘Don’t you ever want to go anywhere?’” She knew she would be if she couldn’t fly all over the world and taste exotic nectars. But Old Rock had flown once, and he began to tell his story.

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It was during the time when he was surrounded by darkness, but then the volcano erupted and Old Rock “‘soared through a fiery sky into the bright light of a new world.’” Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird weren’t very impressed. They still thought Old Rock must be bored. Spotted Beetle told him how much he might see if he climbed to Tall Pine’s very highest branch.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-old-rock-is-not-boring-volcano

Old Rock countered that he had seen a lot. He’d watched dinosaurs pass by and had even hidden a spinosaurus from a hungry T. rex. He’d traveled in a glacier and been left teetering on a ridge overlooking a vast desert, where he “could see the place where the sky touches the earth.” Spotted Beetle and Hummingbird were intrigued, but Tall Pine dismissed these experiences as “ages ago.” He wanted to know about now. Didn’t Old Rock feel like moving? Tall Pine showed Old Rock how his limbs could dance in the wind.

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While Old Rock couldn’t dance, he did recall how he’d turned somersaults off the ridge, landing in a prairie where mastodons grazed near a lake. Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird were mesmerized by Old Rock’s story and wanted to know what had happened next. Out of the prairie, sprang a pine forest, Old Rock revealed. And from one of the pine trees a pinecone fell and a seed was released. That seed grew “to be the tall pine who dances in the wind and keeps me company.” Sometimes, he continued, a spotted beetle and a hummingbird meander by. Old Rock was very pleased with his spot, and the others had to agree that it was “very nice” and “not boring at all.”

An illustrated timeline of Old Rock’s life from 18 billion years ago to the present day follows the text.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-old-rock-is-not-boring-time-line

So much clever thought went into Deb Pilutti’s Old Rock as she reveals to kids what a fascinating and active life the rocks and boulders we see every day have had. Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird’s skepticism keeps the suspense building as Old Rock rolls out stories of his various travels and talents. Once he has them hooked, they—like young readers—want to hear more, leading to the just-right ending that sweetly encompasses shared history, happiness with one’s place in life, and friendship. The trio’s questions to Old Rock and their related experiences also engage children to think about issues and opinions from a variety of perspectives.

Pilutti’s mixed-media illustrations are nicely textured to bring out Old Rock’s grainy surface while highlighting nature’s vivid colors. Her vignettes from the dinosaur eras, the ice age (where the skeletons of dinosaurs are also swept up and away in the same glacier as Old Rock), and beyond impress upon readers the long time-frame involved, how the earth has changed, and even the fascinating science of the fossil record.

A multi-layered story, perfect for general story times or as a lead in to science lessons and to promote discussion and research in the classroom, Old Rock (is not boring) would be an original and exciting addition to home, classroom, and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-0525518181

To learn more about Deb Pilutti, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Old Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

Smooth stones can give you a natural canvas for your creativity! With a little bit of paint, pins or magnets, and some imagination, you can make refrigerator magnets, jewelry, paper weights, and more!

Supplies

Smooth stones in various sizes
Paint or markers
Small magnets, available at craft stores
Jewelry pins, available at craft stores
Paint brush
Strong glue

Directions

To make magnets

Design and paint an image on a light-weight stone
Attach a magnet to the back with strong glue, let dry
Use to hang pictures, notes, or other bits of important stuff on your refrigerator or magnetic board

To make jewelry

Using a smaller, flatter stone, design and paint an image on the stone
Attach a jewelry pin to the back with the strong glue, let dry
Wear your pin proudly

CPB - rock painting craft

To make a paper weight or kindness stone

Using a large stone, design and paint an image on the stone, let dry
Display and use on your desk to keep those papers in place or find a spot around town to leave your rock for someone to find and enjoy

**You can find Old Rock (is not boring) at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

September 16 – Collect Rocks Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday allows anyone who just can’t resist picking up a particularly pretty or unusual stone to indulge their whims and fancies. Rock collecting can be a fun and educational hobby as each type of stone has its own fascinating history and science to learn about. Why not go on a hike today and discover the unique shapes, colors, and feel of the rocks below your feet.

I received a copy of Old Rock (is not boring) from G. P. Putnam’s Sons for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

An illustrated timeline of Old Rock’s life from 18 billion years ago to the present day follows the text.

Ages 4 – 8

G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-0525518181

To learn more about Deb Pilutti, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Collect Rocks Day Activity

CPB - rock painting craft

Rock This Craft!

Smooth stones can give talented artists like yourself a natural canvas for your creativity! So collect some rocks and use your imagination to design rocks to leave for people to find on paths or sidewalks, near a store, or anywhere in your neighborhood. You may even want to leave one outside your local library. That’s where I found the rock pictured here!

Supplies

Smooth stones in various sizes
Paint or markers
Small magnets, available at craft stores
Jewelry pins, available at craft stores
Paint brush
Strong glue

Directions

Find stones in your yard or neighborhood or buy them at a craft store or garden center
Wash and dry rocks as needed
Design and paint an image on the stone
Have fun finding spots to leave your works of art!

**You can find Old Rock (is not boring) at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 18 – International Museum Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

On today’s date, museums around the world typically hold special exhibits, events, and activities with visitors in their buildings and other venues. This year, however, the COVID-19 pandemic means that the 40th anniversary of International Museum Day will be celebrated online through digital activities. The theme for this year’s remembrance is “Museums for Equality: Diversity and Inclusion.” The International Council of Museums––a global network of more than 44,000 museum professionals at 20,000 museums in 138 countries––”hopes that this special day will ‘become a rallying point to both celebrate the diversity of perspectives that make up the communities and personnel of museums and champion tools for identifying and overcoming bias in what they display and the stories they tell.'” To take part, visit the website of your local museums or a favorite museum elsewhere in the world and see what treasures they have to share.

Rocks in His Head

Written by Carol Otis Hurst | Illustrated by James Stevenson

Carol Otis Hurst tells the story of her father, who—even when he was a boy—loved everything to do with rocks. He collected them and in his spare time walked “along stone walls and around old quarries, looking for rocks.” Everyone said “he had rocks in his pockets and rocks in his head,” and he had to agree. When he thought about what he wanted to do when he grew up, he imagined it would have something to do with rocks, and when he was told “‘There’s no money in rocks,’” he was okay with that. In the end, though, he opened a gas station in Springfield, Massachusetts with his father’s help. He called it the Antler Filling Station.

In the back of the filling station, Carol’s father displayed his rock and mineral collection. “He carefully labeled each rock to show what kind it was and where it had come from.” When the Model T automobile came out, more people could afford to buy a car. Carol’s father learned every inch of the Model T by taking it apart and reassembling it many times. He thought that someone who could repair the car and sell spare parts would have a good business, so he began collecting parts for the Model T—so many that “the pile of parts was bigger than the filling station.”

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Image copyright James Stevenson, 2001, text copyright Carol Otis Hurst, 2001. Courtesy of Greenwillow Books.

Most people in town said he “had rocks in his head” if he thought he would sell all those parts, but pretty soon drivers were flocking to the Antler Filling Station for gas and fixes to their cars. They also came inside to see the rocks, ask questions, and hear the stories of each rock and gemstone. Then the stock market crashed and people didn’t have the money for gas or to fix their cars. Things slowed down at the Antler, and when things were really slow, Carol, her father, and her friends would pile into their Model T and go searching for more rocks.

But while the collection at the filling station grew, people stopped coming because they were all out looking for jobs. Soon the Antler Filling Station closed and the family had to move to a new house. The house was falling apart, but Carol’s father began repairing it—after building shelves in the attic for his rock collection. When he wasn’t repairing the house, he was studying more about rocks. Along the way, he looked for work, taking any job he could even if they only lasted a day or two.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-rocks-in-his-head-antler-filling-station

Image copyright James Stevenson, 2001, text copyright Carol Otis Hurst, 2001. Courtesy of Greenwillow Books.

On days when he had no work, Carol’s father went to the Springfield Science Museum, where “they had a whole room full of glass cases containing many rocks. Sometimes he’d spend the whole day in that room.” One day, he met a woman who asked him what he was looking for. He answered “‘I’m looking for rocks that are better than mine.’” Out of the hundreds of rocks in that room, he told her, he’d only found ten, “‘maybe eleven,’” that were better. They smiled at each other.

Then the lady introduced herself as Grace Johnson, the director of the museum. “‘These rocks have come from all over the world,’” she told him, and he said that his had too. She wanted to see his collection, and so they drove out in her big car. Carol’s father showed her up to the attic. After looking around, she told him that while the board of directors wouldn’t allow her to hire him as a mineralogist because he lacked a college degree, she did need a night janitor. When he heard that the job sometimes included cleaning rocks, he took it.

One day, Mrs. Johnson discovered him correcting a label on one of the rocks. She smiled and told him that she had told the board of directors that she needed “‘somebody with rocks in his head and rocks in his pockets.’” Then she asked, “‘Are you it?’ Maybe I am,’” Carol’s father answered. “‘Maybe I am.’” And he was!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-rocks-in-his-head-antler-filling-station-shelves

Image copyright James Stevenson, 2001, text copyright Carol Otis Hurst, 2001. Courtesy of Greenwillow Books.

Carol Otis Hurst’s lovely and affectionate memoir of her father offers young readers a snapshot of history while introducing them to a man who stayed true to himself and his life-long love of rocks despite obstacles and good-natured jibes by those around him. Hurst’s easy-going, conversational storytelling represents her father well, allowing children to get a feel for his personality and steady outlook on life. His acceptance as a mineralogist (and ultimate position as director of the Springfield Science Museum as told in the author’s bio on the jacket flap) will satisfy readers.

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James Stevenson’s familiar watercolor-and-ink illustrations are infused with charm, taking children beside an old stone wall that meanders through the woods, back to old-style filling stations and Model-T cars, and into the heart of a true collector. Images of the author’s father attentively setting up his collection in the filling station and later in the attic will resonate with any young collectors reading the book, and the full-page illustration of Grace Johnson and the author’s father talking and smiling together is happy validation that kindred spirits do cross paths in life.

For children who love collecting, history, museums, and biographies, Rocks in His Head is a delightful choice for home libraries and would make am appealing lead in to science lessons or museum field trips for elementary classrooms.

Ages 4 – 8

Greenwillow Books, 2001 | ISBN 978-0060294038

International Museum Day Activity

CPB - Cookie Jar Museum (2)

Create a Museum Exhibit

Every item has a story. A fun and educational way for kids to learn family stories and interact with their own history is to create a museum exhibit of objects in your home. Maybe there’s a funny anecdote behind a knick-knack on the shelf. Perhaps the family’s favorite serving dish holds sentimental value. How about your child’s best-loved toys or drawings or crafts they’ve made? This can be a fun way to spend some time while staying at home and let everyone see common objects in a whole new light.

Supplies

A number of household
Paper or index cards
Marker, pen, or pencil
A table, shelf, or other area for display

Directions

To get started help children gather a number of items from around the house to be the subjects of their exhibit. An exhibit can have a theme, such as Travel Souvenirs, or it can contain random items of your child’s choice, like toys, plants, tools, or artwork.
Using the paper or cards, children can create labels for their exhibit items. Older children can write the labels themselves; younger children may need adult help.
Spend a little time relating the story behind each object: where it came from, how long you’ve had it, and when and how it was used in the past. Include any funny or touching memories attached to the item. Or let your child’s imagination run free, and let them create histories for the objects.
When the labels are finished, arrange the items on a table, shelf, or in a room, and let your child lead family members on a tour. You can even share the exhibit with family and friends on FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or other app.

Museum Coloring Pages

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Museum Coloring Pages

You may not be able to visit a museum in person right now, but you can enjoy three of the most amazing museums in the world with these coloring pages.

New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art | London’s British Museum | The Louvre in Paris

**You can find Rocks in His Head at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

February 4 – It’s Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week was established with the idea of getting authors, illustrators, and children together to share great books, the joys of creating them and the fun of reading. During the week, authors and illustrators hold special events, including storytelling, exciting presentations, and writing workshops in venues around the country. To find out more about the Children’s Authors Network and discover classroom resources to use throughout the year, visit the Children’s Authors Network website.

I received a copy of Old Rock (is not boring) from G. P. Putnam’s Sons for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

An illustrated timeline of Old Rock’s life from 18 billion years ago to the present day follows the text.

Ages 4 – 8

G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020 | ISBN 978-0525518181

To learn more about Deb Pilutti, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week Activity

Rock This Puzzle! Word Search

You can discover a lot about an area by its rocks. Find the twenty rock-related words in this printable puzzle then learn more about them.

Rock This Puzzle! Word Search | Rock This Puzzle! Solution

You can find Old Rock (is not boring) at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

January 7 – Old Rock Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Do you love rocks? Are your eyes captured by the colors and patterns on the stones you see while out walking? Today’s holiday celebrates these wonders of nature and encourages geologists—both professionals and amateurs—to indulge their passion and maybe even teach others about the history and formation of rocks. To celebrate, take a walk in your area or even in your own backyard, pick up a few rocks, and research a little more about them.

A Rock is Lively

Written by Dianna Hutts Aston | Illustrated by Sylvia Long

Open the cover of A Rock is Lively and before the text—even before the title—readers are treated to an array of fifty-one gemstones that dazzle the eyes. How enticing to learn about all of these natural works of art! “A rock is lively…” the text begins, arching over a shining piece of snowflake obsidian—an ebony-colored rock dotted with lacy blots. These lively rocks bubble “like a pot of soup deep beneath the earth’s crust…liquid…molten…boiling.” How hot does it need to be to melt a rock? Anywhere “between 1,300 and 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit (700 and 1,300 degrees Celsius).”

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Image copyright Sylvia Long, 2012, text copyright Dianna Hutts Aston, 2012. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

What happens at these temperatures? Well, like your favorite cookie recipe, “a rock is mixed up. All rocks are made of a mix of ingredients called minerals.” Take the recipe for Lapis Lazuli, for instance: “Mix the mineral lazurite with a dash of sodalite and a pinch of both calcite and pyrite. Heat within the earth until a brilliant blue.”

Rocks don’t exist just here on earth. Rocks are also galactic. “Outer space is a shower of rocky fireworks” made of meteoroids, comets, and asteroids. You’ll learn the differences among them here too. You probably already know that rocks are old, but how old? Billions of years old! “The oldest rocks ever found are nearly 4.5 billion years old.” Rocks are “huge…and tiny.” They are as big as a mountain reaching for the sky and as small as the grains underneath your feet.

“A rock is helpful.” Animals use rocks in many amazing ways. Some birds swallow stones to help with digestion, and some sea creatures ingest them to help keep them balanced in the water. Other animals use rocks to crack open shellfish and nuts so they can get to the goodness inside. Some rocks look plain on the outside but hold a beautiful surprise inside. Some rocks are full of colorful rainbows, others look like a starry night sky, while still others look like a white chrysanthemum or a red-and-green watermelon.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-rock-is-lively-galactic

Image copyright Sylvia Long, 2012, text copyright Dianna Hutts Aston, 2012. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

From humans’ earliest days rocks have been chiseled into arrow heads and spear points, axe blades, and hammers. They’ve become mortars and pestles and are ground up today to “make cement and bricks, paper and pencils, glass, and toothpaste.” But rocks aren’t only useful, they’re creative too. Ancient peoples made paints from minerals and created colorful “pictographs on cave walls, rock shelters, and ledges.” Petroglyphs were made by chipping and pecking away at rock surfaces. As civilizations developed, so did their buildings and artwork made from stone. The pyramids were made from limestone, Stonehenge is formed from “sandstone, dolerite, and others,” the Taj Mahal and Michelangelo’s “David” are marble marvels, and Mt. Rushmore was carved from Granite.

“A rock is recycled.” Formed in three different ways, rocks are categorized as sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous. “Over thousands of millions of years, [a rock] changes from one form to another. This is called the rock cycle,” and it keeps rocks very lively!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-rock-is-lively-surprising

Image copyright Sylvia Long, 2012, text copyright Dianna Hutts Aston, 2012. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Dianna Hutts Aston’s inventively and conversationally accessible discussion of the rocks that make up our earth and universe will enthrall any rock hound or entice the curious. Aston’s lead-in heads make for clear classification of and intriguing introductions to the various types of rocks, how they’re formed, what they look like, and how they’ve been used through history. Her pages contain short, but very informative paragraphs that teach children about rocks through time and size comparisons they’ll understand, descriptions with familiar references, and evocative verbs and adjectives. Aston’s dynamic look at this subject will excite kids to learn more.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-rock-is-lively-snowflake-obsidian

Image copyright Sylvia Long, 2012, text copyright Dianna Hutts Aston, 2012. Courtesy of Chronicle Books.

Accompanying Aston’s text are Sylvia Long’s stunning illustrations that open readers eyes to the incredible beauty of each type of rock. To begin, young readers see a cut away of the rock layers beneath earth’s crust as well as the rocks that shoot across the sky. Aston shows animals using rocks in a myriad of ways as well as the tools, art, and buildings created by humans throughout history. The showstoppers are her depictions of the interior of different types of geodes, with their electric blues, reds, purples, and oranges and figures that lend the rocks their names. The double-spread pages containing fifty-one rocks with their name that introduce and end the book are a young geologist’s dream come true and will send them scurrying to discover and collect them all.

A fantastic reference, A Rock is Lively makes a terrific addition to home and classroom libraries or a gift (pair it with a geode or small boxed rock collection) for young nature lovers and scientists.

Ages 7 – 12

Chronicle Books, 2012 (Hardcover; 2015 Paperback) | ISBN 978-1452106458

Discover more about Dianna Hutts Aston and her books on her website.

To learn more about Sylvia Long, her books, and her art, visit her website.

Old Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

Supplies

Smooth stones in various sizes
Paint or markers
Small magnets, available at craft stores
Jewelry pins, available at craft stores
Paint brush
Strong glue

Directions

To make magnets

Design and paint an image on the stone
Attach a magnet to the back with strong glue, let dry
Use to hang pictures, notes, or other bits of important stuff on your refrigerator or magnetic board

To make jewelry

Using a smaller, flatter stone, design and paint an image on the stone
Attach a jewelry pin to the back with the strong glue, let dry
Wear your pin proudly

To make a paper weight

Using a large stone, design and paint an image on the stone
Let dry
Display and use on your desk to keep those papers in place

**You can find A Rock is Lively at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

July 13 – International Rock Day

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Today’s holiday recognizes the importance and beauty of the rock that forms solid ground under our feet and soars majestically to meet the sky. From earliest times, rock has been used as building material—and even the tools to build with—and has provided us with valuable gemstones that beautify our lives. Geology and archaeology are just two of the sciences that explore the wonders of stone—what it is composed of and what secrets it keeps. Today, be more mindful of the rocks around you and take a closer look at the intricate patterns that lie within them.

Rocks in His Head

Written by Carol Otis Hurst | Illustrated by James Stevenson

Image copyright James Stevenson, 2001, text copyright Carol Otis Hurst, 2001. Courtesy of Greenwillow Books.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-rocks-in-his-head-rock-samples

Ages 4 – 8

Greenwillow Books, 2001 | ISBN 978-0060294038

International Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

Supplies

Smooth stones in various sizes
Paint or markers
Small magnets, available at craft stores
Jewelry pins, available at craft stores
Paint brush
Strong glue

Directions

To make magnets

Design and paint an image on the stone
Attach a magnet to the back with strong glue, let dry
Use to hang pictures, notes, or other bits of important stuff on your refrigerator or magnetic board

To make jewelry

Using a smaller, flatter stone, design and paint an image on the stone
Attach a jewelry pin to the back with the strong glue, let dry
Wear your pin proudly

To make a paper weight

Using a large stone, design and paint an image on the stone
Let dry
Display and use on your desk to keep those papers in place

**You can find Rocks in His Head at these booksellers**

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review

May 3 – It’s Get Caught Reading Month and Interview with Author Jody Jensen Shaffer

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Launched in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers and managed by Every Child a Reader, Get Caught Reading Month hopes to instill a love of reading in every child and encourages people of all ages to read more. Celebrities, authors, illustrators, and others participate by sharing pictures of themselves reading an old favorite or new book on social media. Special materials are available for and programs held in schools, libraries, bookstores, and community venues all month long. Why not join in by finding a new book to love—like today’s book?! For more information and to find resources, visit the Get Caught Reading website.

Penguin Random House sent me a copy of A Chip Off the Old Block to check out. All opinions are my own. I’m partnering with Penguin Random House in a giving away a copy of A Chip Off the Old Block. See details below.

A Chip Off the Old Block

Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer | Illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Rocky had an impressive family. There was Aunt Etna, Uncle Gibraltar, and his Great-Grandma Half Dome. His cousins were pretty well-known too. In fact, “tons of his relatives were rock stars.” Rocky loved hearing his parents’ stories about his family. Rocky wanted to be important too, but his parents thought he was too little. He may have been “just a chip off the old block” like his dad said, “but inside, Rocky was a boulder!”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-chip-off-the-old-block-aunt-etna

Image copyright Daniel Miyares, 2018. text copyright Jody Jensen Shaffer, 2018. Courtesy of Penguin Random House.

Rocky made a plan, and in the morning he hopped on a pickup truck headed for Arizona to join his cousin The Wave. As soon as he got there, though, a gust of wind blew him away. He landed hard and “noticed that a piece of him had broken off.” Undeterred, he caught a flight with an eagle out to Wyoming and another cousin, The Tower. Rocky was almost settled in when a rainstorm washed him over the side.

At the bottom of the long slide down, Rocky hitched a ride on a car bound for Texas. There, he thought he could watch over the sauropod tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park. But it didn’t take long for an armadillo to dig him out and send him back on the road again. this time he was determined to go to South Dakota. When he arrived, tinier than when he’d begun his trip, he decided that he’d make a terrific souvenir of his cousin Rushmore.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-chip-off-the-old-block-the-wave

Image copyright Daniel Miyares, 2018. text copyright Jody Jensen Shaffer, 2018. Courtesy of Penguin Random House.

Just then he heard the news. The park was closing because a crack had been discovered in Abraham Lincoln’s nose. “Rocky was crushed.” His dreams of being important would never come true now. But looking up at his cousin, he realized that maybe he could help. A passing lizard gave him a ride to the top, and Rocky jumped. He tumbled down, down and right into the crack in Lincoln’s nose. “He was a perfect fit! I did it! I did something important! I saved Abraham Lincoln!” Rocky exaulted, excited and proud.

Down below, visitors and park employees cheered. Reporters relayed the news, and photographers took pictures. The park was saved, and it was “all thanks to Rocky, the little pebble that wouldn’t be taken for granite.”

A guide to igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, illustrated descriptions of some of the world’s most majestic rock formations, and an Author’s Note about Mount Rushmore follow the story.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-chip-off-the-old-block-mount-rushmore

Image copyright Daniel Miyares, 2018. text copyright Jody Jensen Shaffer, 2018. Courtesy of Penguin Random House.

There’s so much to love about Jody Jensen Shaffer’s A Chip Off the Old Block! Part adventure, part educational travelogue, and completely inspirational—with lots of funny wordplay to boot—Shaffer’s story will charm kids. Little Rocky is a sweetie of a go-getter who has big dreams and sets out to achieve them. He overcomes obstacles, setbacks, and disappointments and adjusts to changes with optimism while never losing heart and building up his self-confidence. Kids will cheer when Rocky finally finds the place where he can make the most monumental difference.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-a-chip-off-the-old-block-rocky

Daniel Miyares’ gorgeous illustrations depict the splendor of Rocky’s magnificent cousins and the landscape they dominate while cleverly tracing his journey from state to state, carried along by a truck and a car, in a backpack, and with the help of some animal friends. Rocky is full of personality and childlike expressions that will endear him to readers. Miyares’ full-color, full-bleed pages will get kids excited to learn more about geology and each rock formation, and will no doubt inspire some vacation wish lists.

A Chip Off the Old Block is a smart and witty book that will excite a child’s imagination. It would be a terrific addition to home bookshelves and should be included in classroom libraries to accompany STEM, STEAM, and English Language Arts lessons and well as fun story times.

Ages 5 – 8

Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin Random House, 2018 | ISBN 978-0399173882

Discover more about Jody Jensen Shaffer and her books and find teachers’ resources and activities on her website.

To learn more about Daniel Miyares, his books and his art, visit his website.

Meet Jody Jensen Shaffer

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-Jody-Jensen-Shaffer-author-photo

I’m excited to talk with Jody Jensen Shaffer today about what she loves about writing poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, her favorite childhood memories, and her rescue dog, Sophie.

What was the spark for A Chip off the Old Block?

Hi Kathy! Thanks for having me on your blog. The spark for A Chip off the Old Block was the phrase, “Rocky loved his rock star relatives.” It came to me as I was brainstorming picture book ideas, and it felt like the first line of a story. I loved the word play of the line, so I created a story around it. I just had to discover who Rocky was and what his story would be.

A Chip off the Old Block combines terrific storytelling with science and history. What would you like for readers to take away from the book? How have children reacted to Chip?

Thanks! It was lots of fun to write. I hope readers take away from the book the idea that you’re never too small to matter and to never give up on your dreams. Bonus points if they learn a little about rocks, US landmarks, maps, and natural formations! I’ve been really happy with how Chip has been received by children and adults! One class even did a Google maps tour of the places Rocky visits in his travels.

You write across the spectrum of children’s literature from poetry to nonfiction to fiction. Can you briefly describe what you like about each?

I love writing poetry because of the challenge of the form. It’s like putting a puzzle together, and the pieces are brevity, beauty, meaning, and joy.

I love writing fiction because I can choose any characters I want, put them in any situations I want, and have fun with the language, voice, and story.

I love writing nonfiction because I love learning new things! And my interest in science comes to me naturally because of my dad’s influence. He was a college professor of biological sciences (and a great wordsmith).

You’ve said that you loved being a kid. What’s one of your favorite memories? How does being able to tap into that feeling of childhood influence your work?

I have so many great memories of my childhood: fishing with my family at local ponds, riding bikes to the swimming pool, visiting my dad’s lab at the college, even working our huge garden with my siblings (before we were allowed to ride our bikes to the swimming pool). I feel so blessed to have had the parents I had and the childhood they gave me. It’s easy to recall feelings of being loved and valued. I hope to send that same message to my readers through my writing.

You say you can remember the exact moment you learned to read. Can you talk about that a little?

It’s a very brief memory. I was reading an early chapter book and laboriously sounding out each syllable, index finger on page, when it occurred to me that if I just read “lighter,” the words might come to me more easily. I relaxed, I guess, and the words came. It was like a light switch turned on. From then on, I read fluently.

What’s the best part about being a children’s author? Do you have an anecdote from an author event that you’d like to share?

There are so many great things about writing for children, and I feel really blessed to be able to do it, but if I have to choose the best thing, I’d say it’s being able to play with words for a living. In terms of an anecdote, I was Skyping with a class for World Read Aloud Day recently, and a little guy stepped up to the screen and told me how much he liked one of my less well-known books. I felt his sincerity, and I appreciated him telling me.

In 2017, your book Prudence the Part-Time Cow was chosen to represent Missouri in the National Book Festival in Washington DC that is hosted by the Library of Congress. Can you talk about this honor a little? How was Prudence chosen and what did it mean for you as an author and for the book?

I was super excited to learn that the Missouri Center for the Book chose Prudence for that honor! At the National Book Festival, each state chooses a book to represent it. All the states’ books are displayed together in one room for festival-goers. I didn’t attend the event, but several people who did told me Prudence sold out several times!

You’re a dog lover and have a rescue dog named Sophie. I’d love to hear more about her!

How much time do you have? Just kidding. She’s part long-haired dachshund, part chihuahua, we think. Very friendly, a good walking companion, pretty, and a real cuddler. She sleeps under the sheets with us.

What’s up next for you?

In July 2018, just in time for back-to-school, Beach Lane will publish It’s Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! about a school bus’s first day of school. In 2019, Grosset & Dunlap will release my bobble-head biography, Who Is Jackie Chan? I’ve got more projects coming that have yet to be announced, so I better stop there. I’ll continue to publish poetry in great children’s magazines, too.

What’s your favorite holiday? Do you have an anecdote from any holiday you’d like to share?

I really like Earth Day and Arbor Day. I love helping take care of the earth.

Thanks, Jody! It’s been so great chatting with you! I wish you all the best with A Chip Off the Old Block and all of your books and projects!

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Her website | Twitter

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Picture Book Review

About the Holiday

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

Old Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

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About the Holiday

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

Collect Rocks Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

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About the Holiday

Rocks in His Head

Written by Carol Otis Hurst | Illustrated by James Stevenson

International Museum Day Activity

Create a Museum Exhibit

Museum Coloring Pages

Museum Coloring Pages

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About the Holiday

Old Rock (is not boring)

By Deb Pilutti

Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week Activity

Rock This Puzzle! Word Search

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About the Holiday

A Rock is Lively

Written by Dianna Hutts Aston | Illustrated by Sylvia Long

Old Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

You can find A Rock is Lively at these booksellers

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About the Holiday

Rocks in His Head

Written by Carol Otis Hurst | Illustrated by James Stevenson

International Rock Day Activity

Rock This Craft!

You can find Rocks in His Head at these booksellers

Share this:

Like this:

About the Holiday

A Chip Off the Old Block

Written by Jody Jensen Shaffer | Illustrated by Daniel Miyares

Meet Jody Jensen Shaffer

You can find A Chip Off the Old Block at these booksellers

You can connect with Jody Jensen Shaffer on

Get Caught Reading Month Activity

Catch the Reading Bug Bookmark and Bookplate

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**You can find Old Rock (is not boring) at these booksellers**

**You can find Old Rock (is not boring) at these booksellers**

**You can find Rocks in His Head at these booksellers**

**You can find A Rock is Lively at these booksellers**

**You can find Rocks in His Head at these booksellers**

**You can find A Chip Off the Old Block at these booksellers**