Customer Reviews

The Pebble in my Pocket: A History of Our Earth

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I work with children in environmental education. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that many children have no concept of the soil except that it is dirty! This book helps the reader examine this presious resource and contemplate the longevity of soil and the importance of it in a fun manner. Hooper takes the child on a creative adventure of reliving some of the possible experiences of the piece of rock that they take for granted. Although a scientific topic, "A Rock in my Pocket" is also a delightful romp through the history of the earth. I highly recommend this book for any child who thinks soil is dirty, and even for those who think it is cool. In addition, Hooper's book "A Drop in my Drink" deals with water in the same manner. You should not get one of these books and not the other.

This book presents the earth's timeline, from 4 billion years ago to the present, by following a pebble's journey from its volcanic birth to the top of a mountain, to the sea, to being captured by glaciers, with other stops in between. The illustrations are wonderful in showing different life forms over that period. We bought this book for my son when he was 4, and he still likes reading it at age 6. A nice touch is that it is a girl who finds the pebble.

My fifth grade students were bored when I read this book to them. They are very interested in the rock cycle, however, this book presented information that went on forever. I think it would have been better if it could have been more concise.