A Rock Is Lively
Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Publisher: Chronicle, 2012
Age Range: Grades K-5
Lexile: 1110L
ISBN: 9781452106458
Awards and Recognition
Scientific American Science Book for Stormy Weather
School Library Journal starred review
Junior Library Guild selection
A Rock Is Lively is a beautiful, informative creation by the author and illustrator of An Egg Is Quiet, A Seed Is Sleepy, and A Butterfly Is Patient. Young readers may at first be surprised by the book's title. The word lively is not the first thing to come to mind when one thinks about rocks. However, the first few pages explain the molten, liquid nature of rocks at the earth's core. Sylvia Long's watercolor illustrations vividly depict this lively nature of rocks. The illustrations throughout the book are colorful and intricate. Each representation of the many types of rocks is impressively realistic. Dianna Hutts Aston uses clever analogies to describe the composition and nature of different types of rocks. The spread of pages shown below compares the mixture of minerals found in rocks to the ingredients needed for baking cookies. The page on the right contains a "recipe" for Lapis Lazuli.
This book could easily appeal to children at a range of ages. Children as young as kindergarden would enjoy this book as a read-aloud. The colorful rock illustrations are eye-catching, and they would likely grasp the concept of different types of rocks forming under various conditions. However, many of the finer print details involving geographic locations, years, and temperatures wouldn't necessarily be understood by young children. The cursive text and scientific vocabulary make this book a challenging read. Most children won't be able to read it independently until upper elementary. At this level, they are also ready to understand some of the more scientific concepts.
My only criticism of the book is a lack of nonfiction text features- glossary, index, bibliography, or any recommendations for further learning about the topic. Since many scientific facts are conveyed in A Rock Is Lively, it seems as though there should at least be a bibliography.
A possible point of contention is the fact that the book mentions that the Earth is billions of years old. For that reason, some families may not feel that it is suitable reading material for their children.
Extensions
It is likely that this book will inspire children to go looking for rocks in their own backyards. These books will help them identify and learn more about their rocks:
Find photographs of dozens of different types of rocks at http://geology.com/rocks. Click on their names to read detailed information about them.
Test your knowledge of different types of rocks and what they are made of with this rock cycle interactive.
See more of A Rock Is Lively on its Amazon Preview Page.
Sounds like an interesting book. I'm going to have to check it out myself.
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