If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
I had such high hopes for this book. I was ready to recommend it to all of my Reggio Emilia friends. The rocks used to make the alphabet are certainly cool, but this books just falls flat. Some of the illustrations are marvelous- particularly ghosts, nose, and ouch. Others barely resemble the thing they are named for, like the seahorse. The X page is always the true test of any alphabet book, and XOXO is a fine solution. But what is the accompanying rock supposed to be of? It also bothers me that the title has nothing to do with the contents, except for the rocks. A final (and unfair) criticism- the rocks look too much the same because they all come from the same beach in Florida. Showing the variety of forms that rocks take would have added depth and interest to the artwork and the book. Frankly, I'm surprised to see this on so many Caldecott and best-of-the-year lists. If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet, by Leslie McGuirk is a corky addition to alphabet books. She takes rocks that took a long time and a lot of patience to find around that look like letters and or numbers or other things, and used them to teach us the alphabet. My favorite is e is for elephant and there was a rock in the shape of an elephant! I would say this book is for younger students because it is an alphabet book but I could stretch as far as about first grade. Children who like nature would really get a kick out of this. One easy lesson that I could use this book for is to show how the author had such great patience in collecting her rocks and her determination for her art. I could use this for the beginning of the year to see what kinds of things my students are passionate about. I'm actually kind of excited about this one!
What do You think about If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet (2011)?
ABC book with rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. Interesting and imaginative.
—pinkspiders
Quietly rocks the alphabet and words with 'precious' stones.~Monty K.
—esme
What an imaginative book! Loved the rocks. :)
—mav23iul
