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Stone by Stone

Author Melissa Koch
Illustrated by Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Hardcover
$19.99 US
Candlewick | Holiday House
8-1/4"W x 11"H | 20 oz | 32 per carton
On sale Aug 04, 2026 | 40 Pages | 9780823456734
Age 4-8 years | Preschool - 3
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What we build matters, as explored in this thought-provoking look at the rock cycle and human ingenuity.

From ancient cairns to castles to the Great Wall of China to stone sculptures in museums, what we build says a lot about who we are, what we value, what we fear, and who we aspire to be. And it all starts deep, deep below the earth’s surface. It starts with a stone. 

Meticulously researched and stunningly illustrated, Stone by Stone invites readers to consider how the rock cycle, engineering, and human history connect. Beginning under the earth, the text takes readers through the rock cycle with striking and dramatic detail before moving above ground to show how humans have used stones across history to build, connect, divide, and reimagine our place on Earth. 

Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s art vibrates with energy, capturing the pure fire of the earth and the spirit of invention that lives inside all of us, while Melissa Koch’s poetic text quietly urges readers to think about the human side of science. Changed by billions of years and shaped by human hands, the stones that line our streets, buildings, and homes are a part of our story. Earth’s story. 

The robust back matter includes more information on the rock cycle, engineering, stone usage throughout history as well as a timeline, bibliography, and resources.
Melissa Koch writes nonfiction children’s books that focus on making science and social justice personal and valuable to kids. For YA readers, Melissa has written 3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing and Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate. She has also designed award-winning learning technologies and out-of-school learning experiences that encourage women and youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in STEM. Stone by Stone is Melissa’s debut picture book. She lives with her family in an old house with a solid stone foundation in a small Iowa town surrounded by limestone bluffs.

Victoria Tentler-Krylov is a trained and practicing architect, as well as a children's and editorial illustrator, who grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and studied architecture and urban design at Cooper Union and Columbia University. Books she’s illustrated for children include The Cyclops of Central Park, for which she was named an Ezra Jack Keats Award Honoree, and I’m Gonna Paint, for which she received the Silver Medal at the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show and was named a Bologna Children’s Illustration Winner. Her art has also been published in the New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe. Victoria lives in New Jersey with her family.
Melissa Koch View titles by Melissa Koch
Victoria Tentler-Krylov View titles by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

About

What we build matters, as explored in this thought-provoking look at the rock cycle and human ingenuity.

From ancient cairns to castles to the Great Wall of China to stone sculptures in museums, what we build says a lot about who we are, what we value, what we fear, and who we aspire to be. And it all starts deep, deep below the earth’s surface. It starts with a stone. 

Meticulously researched and stunningly illustrated, Stone by Stone invites readers to consider how the rock cycle, engineering, and human history connect. Beginning under the earth, the text takes readers through the rock cycle with striking and dramatic detail before moving above ground to show how humans have used stones across history to build, connect, divide, and reimagine our place on Earth. 

Victoria Tentler-Krylov’s art vibrates with energy, capturing the pure fire of the earth and the spirit of invention that lives inside all of us, while Melissa Koch’s poetic text quietly urges readers to think about the human side of science. Changed by billions of years and shaped by human hands, the stones that line our streets, buildings, and homes are a part of our story. Earth’s story. 

The robust back matter includes more information on the rock cycle, engineering, stone usage throughout history as well as a timeline, bibliography, and resources.

Author

Melissa Koch writes nonfiction children’s books that focus on making science and social justice personal and valuable to kids. For YA readers, Melissa has written 3D Printing: The Revolution in Personalized Manufacturing and Forest Talk: How Trees Communicate. She has also designed award-winning learning technologies and out-of-school learning experiences that encourage women and youth from diverse backgrounds to pursue their dreams in STEM. Stone by Stone is Melissa’s debut picture book. She lives with her family in an old house with a solid stone foundation in a small Iowa town surrounded by limestone bluffs.

Victoria Tentler-Krylov is a trained and practicing architect, as well as a children's and editorial illustrator, who grew up in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and studied architecture and urban design at Cooper Union and Columbia University. Books she’s illustrated for children include The Cyclops of Central Park, for which she was named an Ezra Jack Keats Award Honoree, and I’m Gonna Paint, for which she received the Silver Medal at the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show and was named a Bologna Children’s Illustration Winner. Her art has also been published in the New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The Boston Globe. Victoria lives in New Jersey with her family.
Melissa Koch View titles by Melissa Koch
Victoria Tentler-Krylov View titles by Victoria Tentler-Krylov

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