New Arrivals: Juv Nonfiction: A Rock Can Be... , Laura Purdie Salas, Violeta Dabija

We're just rolling in the natural history goodness over here these days.

A Rock Can Be...
Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Violeta Dabija
ISBN: 9781467721103
A poetic exploration of what rocks can (or could) be, with soft illustrations reminding me of One White Wishing Stone.

I love the sweet simplicity of this rhyming sequence, and the often-surprising contrasts that are created in the adjacent rhymes.  The visual imagery in "desert dune / harvest moon" is stunning, but even more mentally interesting is the concept match between "Harbor protector / Land connector" showing a rock-embraced round harbor, which is echoed in reverse by a sweep of river arced across by graceful stone bridges.

The rhyme itself is short, leaving four pages at the end for a discussion of rocks and of each of the specific call-outs that the rhymes use, of a Glossary, and a Further Reading selection.

Descriptive, evocative, and inspiring.  Nonfiction can be so beautiful!