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  • Old Rock (Is Not Boring)

Old Rock
(Is Not Boring)

Author
Deb Pilutti
Illustrator
Deb Pilutti
Publication Date
February 04, 2020
Genre / Grade Band
Fiction /  K − 1st
Language
English
Format
Picture Book
Old Rock (Is Not Boring)
Description
Quirky charm infuses this tale of Old Rock's life story, which is much more exciting than you'd expect. Old Rock has been sitting in the same spot in the pine forest for as long as anyone can remember. Spotted Beetle, Tall Pine, and Hummingbird think just sitting there must be boring, but they are in for a wonderful surprise. Fabulous tales of adventurous travel, exotic scenery, entertaining neighbors, and more from Old Rock's life prove it has been anything but boring. Great storytellers come in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and Old Rock's stories are sure to inspire questions that lead to wonderful conversations about the past and the natural world.
Publication date
February 04, 2020
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780525518181
Lexile Measure
590
Publisher
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV029000 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | General
JUV016090 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Prehistory
Library of Congress categories
Rocks

Kirkus

Starred Review

Awitty, engaging exploration of deep time.

Spotted Beetle, Tall Pine, and Hummingbird think that their friend Old Rock must lead a terribly boring existence just sitting in the same spot year after year. After all, Hummingbird flies all over the world to sample nectar, Spotted Beetle can climb to the top of Tall Pine to take in the vistas, and even Tall Pine dances in the breeze. But just sitting there? As they describe their own, ostensibly more exciting lives, however, Old Rock relates experiences that include being shot out of a volcano, seeing dinosaurs pass by, traveling by glacier, and having a close encounter with a mastodon. These tales occupy multiple page turns, helping to communicate both Old Rock’s great age and the eventfulness of its existence. The trio ends up being fascinated by these accounts of Old Rock’s exploits, and they all agree that ending up together in the present day is “Not boring at all.” Throughout, Pilutti’s expressive cartoon art is punctuated by speech balloons, some with words and some with rebuslike images, that add humor to the already witty main text, and the facial features she supplies her protagonist with are delightfully communicative. A backmatter timeline pinpoints Old Rock’s episodic journey to the present day with precision.

This picture book rocks! (Picture book. 4-8)

School Library Journal

Starred Review

PreS-Gr 2--Rocks aren't generally known for being the life of the party. In fact, they just kind of sit around and do nothing. Or do they? Old Rock lives in a clearing in a beautiful pine forest where he enjoys the company of his friends: Hummingbird, Tall Pine, and Spotted Beetle. They feel sorry for Old Rock because he doesn't get to go anywhere or see anything. Old Rock tells them that he has had experiences. For example, he erupted out of a volcano, somersaulted down a mountain, and even hung out with the dinosaurs. When glaciers formed in the Ice Age, Old Rock rode one far and wide. His friends begin to wish they had done those things. This is a wonderful story about mistaken assumptions, and taking the time to listen to a variety of perspectives and experiences. The author has cleverly traced the development of Earth through Old Rock's remarkable reminiscences. Part scientific history, part storytelling, Old Rock is content with his lot in life, and Old Rock is not boring! That's a good message for all readers. The art is created with casein paint with a bit of digital manipulation. VERDICT This is a brilliant book for school and public libraries and one that children will be drawn to. Bridging story and the history of the natural world is sure to be a hit.--Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Deb Pilutti
Deb Pilutti wrote and illustrated Ten Rules of Being a Superhero, Bear and Squirrel Are Friends, and The Secrets of Ninja School, and illustrated Idea Jar by Adam Lehrhaupt. Her inspiration for this book began with a doodle of a rock with a face. It looked like it could be a character, but Deb dismissed it, thinking, Rocks don't DO anything. They just sit there. That would be a boring book. Luckily, she dug a little deeper and Old Rock's story came to life. Deb lives with her husband and their border collie, Wilson, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.