Here are five recent picture books featuring rocks. And of quartz these choices aren’t written in stone — if you’re looking for more, see the Earth science--Geology subject tag in the Guide/Reviews Database…and rock on.

Rock
by Laurel Croza; illus. by Matt James
Primary    Groundwood    44 pp.
3/25    9781773069487    $19.99
e-book ed.  9781773069500    $16.99

The team behind I Know Here (rev. 5/10) and From There to Here (rev. 5/14) presents a story about standing resolute in the face of a bully who seeks to diminish one’s self-worth. A loquacious gull finds a rock on a quiet beach and asks what it is. “I am a rock,” it asserts. The gull spends the rest of the book challenging the rock, telling it that it’s not a rock (“I see you as a pebble”), that it could be tossed in the water (“you will sink…there is no guarantee you will find your way back”), and that it’s not anything special. “I am a rock,” it responds, over and over. James’s soft-edged paintings on acetate, wood, Masonite, and cardboard capture the essence of water, sand, and sky; a child meanders on the beach in the background, a visual break from the gull’s relentless harassment. The high-concept messaging may fly over children’s heads, but grounding the story in a lakeside setting gives them something concrete to focus on, and their curiosity about the child in the background will help keep pages turning. Eventually the child spots the rock, chases the gull away, and uses the rock to shape a heart on the sand — a rewarding and cathartic ending. ADRIENNE L. PETTINELLI

A Pocket Full of Rocks
by Kristin Mahoney; illus. by E. B. Goodale
Primary    Knopf    40 pp.
1/25    9780593428542    $18.99
Library ed.  9780593428559    $21.99
e-book ed.  9780593428566    $10.99

Throughout the year, a child collects various objects from nature, finding comfort and creative inspiration in them. This endearing account begins in winter when the protagonist collects rocks. Deftly employing a second-person narration (“You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks”), Mahoney introduces a pattern she follows throughout the book. The kid’s parents and sister express skepticism, but the youngster pays them no mind. After all, these stones make perfect chairs for the fairies living in the child’s imagination. In the ensuing sequences, the child pockets flower petals in spring, shells in summer, and acorns in autumn. The story has an effective cumulative quality to it as the protagonist places the objects into a jar at the end of each season. Mahoney carries the narrative to a satisfying resolution when the young one repurposes the finds as special gifts for each family member. Goodale’s striking mixed-media illustrations perfectly convey the child’s curiosity about worlds both natural and fantastical, as well as evoking the essence of each season. In a playful touch, Goodale often gives readers a see-through view inside pockets. A quiet yet vibrant celebration of nature, art, imagination, and individuality. BRIAN E. WILSON

When You Find the Right Rock
by Mary Lyn Ray; illus. by Felicita Sala
Preschool, Primary    Chronicle    48 pp.
9/24    9781797214580    $18.99

This stimulating ode to rocks validates the habits of collectors while offering a gateway to those who have yet to discover rocks’ allure. The childlike prose is reminiscent of Ruth Krauss’s distinctive style: “Small rocks are to choose which to put in your pocket. Because there’s something about a rock that’s good to have in a pocket.” Mixed-media and collage illustrations elegantly reflect the mood of the text, and a variety of compositions supports described concepts as well as expands more contemplative pages to evoke a sense of wonder. Single pages and double-page spreads of rocky terrains take readers atop mountains, through canyons, along the shore, and down into the sea. The book enthusiastically proclaims that rocks are ideal for counting, stacking, climbing, and standing on and acknowledges that our planet itself is, essentially, a large rock; it concludes by encouraging readers to seek out a special rock to keep and assign some importance to. “Then…if sometimes you wish someone were with you (but no one is), your rock is.” Opening with the image of a child and adult out on an errand and closing with that child having secured a rock of their own, this poignant take on rocks could provide enough ­inspiration to transform an ordinary walk into an expedition full of observation. JULIE ROACH

Rabbit’s Feat
by Barney Saltzberg; illus. by the author
Preschool, Primary    Hippo Park/Astra    40 pp.
6/25    9781662640803    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781662640810    $11.99

“Every spring, Rabbit heard Boulder and Cactus having the same conversation.” Boulder, perched near the edge of a small cliff, longs to see Cactus’s nighttime-blooming flowers up close. “Today will be the day…I’m coming over there!” Cactus is down below, a stone’s throw from the bottom of the cliff. (Despite being depicted realistically without any facial features, both Boulder and Cactus can speak and see, adding to the humor.) Rabbit and a butterfly friend have nonspeaking roles (and go unnoticed by the two other characters), but they are instrumental in helping Boulder realize the dream — something young listeners will easily pick up on in Saltzberg’s appealingly textured digital illustrations. Throughout the day, Rabbit makes attempts to move the immovable as Boulder and Cactus converse optimistically. Finally, under a full moon and with the flowers on the verge of blooming, eight rabbits stand at one end of a homemade lever, not quite able to roll Boulder over the edge. Saltzberg slows things down: over three panels and one double-page spread, the butterfly flits over to the stack of rabbits, softly alighting on Rabbit’s ear. “Sometimes, thought Rabbit…with…a little…help…and a little kindness…” and with the addition of one butterfly: “BOOM!” Boulder sticks the landing, and Saltzberg does too. KITTY FLYNN

This Rock Is Mine!
by Kaye Umansky; illus. by Alice McKinley
Preschool    Peachtree    32 pp.
10/24    9781682637463    $18.99

Two headstrong frogs battle it out for sole proprietorship of their favorite rock. A long-legged green frog fishes on its side of the rock, while on the other side a paler, squatter frog naps. When they become aware of each other, an argument ensues. They defend their ownership in back-and-forth rhymes. “This is MY rock! / See over there? / My orange towel, / my folding chair. / My flask of tea. / My underwear. / This rock is MINE.” A large blue heron watches the two flailing about and swoops in for a snack, sending the pair diving into the water. Frog and Frog are united by this close call and decide to search for a new rock together. The mixed-media and digital illustrations feature blues and greens, befitting a pond or bog. Both frogs sport colorful swimsuits — a playful detail in a story bursting with silliness. A lucky pink worm, originally destined to be fishing bait, escapes in the early chaos and is one of several creatures that can be found on each page (a bonus seek-and-find for curious readers). An entertaining read-aloud on the merits of sharing. HILL SAXTON

From the June 2025 issue of Notes from the Horn Book.