A plucky pebble shows true grit as he travels the country trying to find out if he fits in with any of his famous rock-formation relatives.
Rocky comes from a long line of rock stars! Uncle Gibraltar, Aunt Etna, and Great-Grandma Half Dome are just some of the legendary rock formations he calls family. It's no wonder he wants to matter in a big way too--but it's not easy trying to get a foothold. Rocky gets tossed by The Wave and driven away at Devil's Tower--but he's determined not to allow these pitfalls to chip away at his confidence. Rather than feeling crushed, he keeps on rolling, hoping to become the rock-star he knows he's meant to be.
“Being small doesn't mean you can't have big goals! A pebble who feels like a boulder sets out to prove that little ones can accomplish great things in this quirky, suspenseful, pun-filled tale. . . . Rocky landscapes and stony surfaces are depicted with just the right amount of detail. . . . Young readers will root for this less-than-pint-sized hero while he makes the most of his own personal talents. . . . They will learn a bit about rock types and formations (factual information is included in the final notes). Replete with wry, comic references and infused with a sense of adventure, this is a lighthearted tale that readers will certainly not ‘take for granite.’”—Kirkus Reviews
“Full of rock puns, this inspirational tale with a sense of humor is more fun the more time you spend with it—especially if you study the back matter, which places members of 'Rocky’s Rock Star Family’ in geological context. . . . Miyares creates impressive full-bleed landscapes and also manages to give personality to a pebble. Rock on.”—The Horn Book
“Miyares paints Rocky on heavily textured paper, adding depth and richness to his spreads; saturated reds and purples contribute drama. It’s tough to cast a rock as a main character, but Shaffer comes up with lots of ways a rock can travel and uses every geological pun she can think of. Rock hounds and teachers doing earth science units are a natural audience.”—Publishers Weekly
“Miyares’ vivid illustrations, painted in watercolor and acrylics, give this story momentum—paneled sequences depict stages of Rocky’s journey—and reflect the grandeur of many of America’s geologic marvels. An afterword on rock types and formations creates a natural segue for discussions on geology or geography, while the encouraging message of dreaming big grounds the playful story.”—Booklist
“Word play is peppered throughout the text. . . . The illustrations . . . depict amusing scenes of Rocky’s perilous journey and some impressive spreads of the majestic rock formations. This title may be a jumping-off point for a group discussion of perseverance in the face of obstacles as well as an introduction to famous rock formations.”—School Library Journal
JODY JENSEN SHAFFER is an award-winning poet and the author of more than thirty books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including Emergency Kittens! and Prudence the Part-Time Cow, Missouri's pick for the 2017 National Book Festival and a nominee for Missouri's 2019-2020 Show Me Readers Award. Jody lives with her husband, kids, and rescue dog in Liberty, Missouri. Visit Jody at jodyjensenshaffer.com and follow her on Twitter at @jodywrites4kids.
View titles by Jody Jensen Shaffer
Daniel Miyares is the critically acclaimed author-illustrator of NIGHT OUT, which was called a "pleasure" by Publishers Weekly in a starred review, and FLOAT, which the Boston Globe called a "perfect wordless picture book." He is also the illustrator of NIGHT WALK TO THE SEA, written by Deborah Wiles, described as "majestic" by Bulletin Center for Children's Books, and THAT IS MY DREAM! a picture book version of Langston Hughes' "Dream Variation," hailed as "a must-read" by Kirkus in a starred review. He lives in Kansas with his family. Visit him on the Web at danielmiyares.com or follow him on Twitter at @danielmiyares or on Instagram at @danielmiyaresdoodles.
View titles by Daniel Miyares
A plucky pebble shows true grit as he travels the country trying to find out if he fits in with any of his famous rock-formation relatives.
Rocky comes from a long line of rock stars! Uncle Gibraltar, Aunt Etna, and Great-Grandma Half Dome are just some of the legendary rock formations he calls family. It's no wonder he wants to matter in a big way too--but it's not easy trying to get a foothold. Rocky gets tossed by The Wave and driven away at Devil's Tower--but he's determined not to allow these pitfalls to chip away at his confidence. Rather than feeling crushed, he keeps on rolling, hoping to become the rock-star he knows he's meant to be.
Praise
“Being small doesn't mean you can't have big goals! A pebble who feels like a boulder sets out to prove that little ones can accomplish great things in this quirky, suspenseful, pun-filled tale. . . . Rocky landscapes and stony surfaces are depicted with just the right amount of detail. . . . Young readers will root for this less-than-pint-sized hero while he makes the most of his own personal talents. . . . They will learn a bit about rock types and formations (factual information is included in the final notes). Replete with wry, comic references and infused with a sense of adventure, this is a lighthearted tale that readers will certainly not ‘take for granite.’”—Kirkus Reviews
“Full of rock puns, this inspirational tale with a sense of humor is more fun the more time you spend with it—especially if you study the back matter, which places members of 'Rocky’s Rock Star Family’ in geological context. . . . Miyares creates impressive full-bleed landscapes and also manages to give personality to a pebble. Rock on.”—The Horn Book
“Miyares paints Rocky on heavily textured paper, adding depth and richness to his spreads; saturated reds and purples contribute drama. It’s tough to cast a rock as a main character, but Shaffer comes up with lots of ways a rock can travel and uses every geological pun she can think of. Rock hounds and teachers doing earth science units are a natural audience.”—Publishers Weekly
“Miyares’ vivid illustrations, painted in watercolor and acrylics, give this story momentum—paneled sequences depict stages of Rocky’s journey—and reflect the grandeur of many of America’s geologic marvels. An afterword on rock types and formations creates a natural segue for discussions on geology or geography, while the encouraging message of dreaming big grounds the playful story.”—Booklist
“Word play is peppered throughout the text. . . . The illustrations . . . depict amusing scenes of Rocky’s perilous journey and some impressive spreads of the majestic rock formations. This title may be a jumping-off point for a group discussion of perseverance in the face of obstacles as well as an introduction to famous rock formations.”—School Library Journal
Author
JODY JENSEN SHAFFER is an award-winning poet and the author of more than thirty books of fiction and nonfiction for children, including Emergency Kittens! and Prudence the Part-Time Cow, Missouri's pick for the 2017 National Book Festival and a nominee for Missouri's 2019-2020 Show Me Readers Award. Jody lives with her husband, kids, and rescue dog in Liberty, Missouri. Visit Jody at jodyjensenshaffer.com and follow her on Twitter at @jodywrites4kids.
View titles by Jody Jensen Shaffer
Daniel Miyares is the critically acclaimed author-illustrator of NIGHT OUT, which was called a "pleasure" by Publishers Weekly in a starred review, and FLOAT, which the Boston Globe called a "perfect wordless picture book." He is also the illustrator of NIGHT WALK TO THE SEA, written by Deborah Wiles, described as "majestic" by Bulletin Center for Children's Books, and THAT IS MY DREAM! a picture book version of Langston Hughes' "Dream Variation," hailed as "a must-read" by Kirkus in a starred review. He lives in Kansas with his family. Visit him on the Web at danielmiyares.com or follow him on Twitter at @danielmiyares or on Instagram at @danielmiyaresdoodles.
View titles by Daniel Miyares
