Lines of free verse alternate between playful and philosophical as Ray (How to Have a Birthday) praises the charms of rocks. "You can tell, right off, that big ones are to climb on," the text begins. "That's their way of inviting you to know them—and to see where you are." Mixed-media spreads in shades of gray are splashed with splotches of saturated color; Sala (If You Run Out of Words) layers pigment that mimics the striations of rocks and suggests weathering and wear. Small ones can be chosen and collected ("There's something about a rock that's good to have in a pocket"), and stacked and played with, while "middle-size rocks are best to sit on." Human figures of various skin tones, some fanciful, are captured with expressive lines of color as they climb on rocks, bend to inspect them, and even find them underwater ("It's probably a good idea to say hi to each rock you meet. Because you don't want to miss it"). The quiet presence of rocks can reflect the finder's individual multitudes, suggests a passage about huge, mostly hidden mountain rocks—"Some of their big goes unseen.... But it's still there. Like yours." Ages 3–5. Author's agent: Rick Margolis, Rising Bear Literary. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Sept.)

K-Gr 4—With everything in common with Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak's A Hole Is to Dig, Ray and Sala offer children a rare picture book look at rocks and what they are good for. Some are to climb on, as every parent has witnessed, and some are just right for putting in a pocket while others can be stacked. Some can be lined up in neat rows, mapping out the rooms of a temporary house. Large rocks demonstrate what heavy feels like, but so does a big bag of small rocks. This is blissful stuff, mostly because Ray has a lot to say about her topic, and all of it will matter to young readers. Sala's colorful illustrations take the same approach: there isn't one kind of right rock, but hundreds of them, and she finds many hues for those, as well as for the people playing in her pages. White rock, blackened stone, blue skin, purple skin tone—the creators are in ideal concord for waking up readers to the variety of rocks, as well as the variety of humans; children can hold both, no matter the size of their hands. VERDICT A stunning book and essential purchase, stuffed with ideas, poetic musings, and more than one reason to connect with rocks wherever they are found.—Kimberly Olson Fakih