When You Find the Right Rock
Poet Mary Lyn Ray
Artist Felicita Sala
Chronicle Books, 2024.
Anytime is a fantastic time for exploring the unique relationship children find with the natural world and the appeal and friendship they find in discovering their special rocks.
The reader/listener is introduced to the science of rocks, but also to the comfort one can find in nature. The lively illustrations guide us through this story as a child discovers rocks, both large and small. She contemplates the world while sitting on a rock, counts rocks, lines them up on the seashore, and stacks them as high as she can reach. When she finds “the right rock”, she slips it into her pocket to have forever and to perhaps help her through some difficult times.
Maybe it is a rock from the heart of a mountain that will remind you of how big YOU are inside, too. Maybe you find a small rock, just the right size to close your hand around and know that the rock is with you. Somewhere, a rock is waiting for you. One just the right color for your windowsill, or just the right shape for drawing a face.
Through collage and mixed media images and lovely poetic text, this book carries readers along on a journey of discovery that’s all about learning the beauty of being in the moment, and connecting with nature. We witness the thrill of finding a precious keepsake to call your own. This book reminds us to take our time and stop and look at the rocks, and to listen to our own hearts. Our connections with nature reduce stress and increase happiness. By exploring the natural world it is easy to instill in kids a sense of wonder. This new book is a reminder that when we see ourselves in nature, we reflect our own curiosities which can emphasize mindfulness.
I believe this book is ideal for anyone who loves the natural world, and/or is seeking a perfect rock to treasure. Note these lines about a specific rock: “But the most important may be the one that fits in your hand exactly. Somewhere it’s waiting for you to find it.” Could your next walk with a child or grandchild be an adventure?
Mary Lyn Ray lives in New Hampshire, on an old farm where there are big rocks and pocket rocks, medium-sized and big, big rocks—all just right for saying hello to.
Felicita Sala is a self-taught illustrator. She studied philosophy and languages in Australia and now lives in Italy. She gets inspired by nature, children, mid-century illustration, folk art, and architecture.
Submitted by Karen Kosko
