If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet

Children's author/illustrator Leslie McGuirk spent ten years collecting the letter-shaped rocks that she used to illustrate this innovative alphabet book, patiently waiting (or impatiently waiting, one would imagine) for them to wash up on the Florida shore where she (with one exception) found them. "Nature has its own timing," she observes in her brief afterword, but the results are - to judge by this beautiful title - well worth the wait!

If Rocks Could Sing is just a lovely little book, one I found far more engaging than I would have expected, given that I don't often pick up alphabet books. The letter-rocks were amazing - I don't think I've ever seen rocks in these shapes before! - as were those used to represent the various objects show more and/or concepts mentioned in the text. I think my favorite were the ghost-rocks. Well worth a look, for those in search of innovative and engaging alphabet books, or for rock lovers, young and old. show less

A brilliant concept, very nicely realized. The author collected bits of fossiliferous sandstone from the Florida coastline, over a period of ten years, until she had one shaped like each letter of the alphabet, and many that could represent objects beginning with those letters. Then she designed this beautiful book with illustrations combining the rocks with simple props to make a very unusual alphabet book. It will appeal best to young children who already know their letters, I think, and to crazy rock-lovers like me.

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 show more 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. show less

In this extremely creative concept book Leslie McGuirk uses rocks to go through the alphabet. McGuirk uses real rocks found on the beaches of Florida that look like letters A, B, C and so on, and even finds rocks that look like the objects that start with those letters. She has a rock that actually looks like the silhouette of a penguin for the letter P and even has a handful of ghosts for “G is for ghosts”. On many of the pages the rocks are placed on a background that makes them look like they are the actual objects they are representing; these rocks are playful. For example, there is a potato-shaped rock on a couch to represent a couch potato and a bread-shaped rock on a plate next to a knife with butter on it to represent toast. show more Kids are often interested in rocks and these strange shapes will surely get their attention. The rock representations of the alphabet are like works of art, and readers will find themselves amazed by how similar they look to letters and animals. Get ready for a concept book that will rock your world! show less

I love rocks. I love finding rocks that look like other things. I like keeping those rocks out in a basket or in a small tin where I can look and feel them again. This is my little rock collection on steroids. It took patience for the author to find rocks representing every letter of the alphabet and then more to illustrate matching words. But it was worth the result. This is a simple and fun way to teach kids the alphabet.

I love rocks. I love finding rocks that look like other things. I like keeping those rocks out in a basket or in a small tin where I can look and feel them again. This is my little rock collection on steroids. It took patience for the author to find rocks representing every letter of the alphabet and then more to illustrate matching words. But it was worth the result. This is a simple and fun way to teach kids the alphabet.

Leslie McGuirk shows us treats that many of us could completely overlook when exploring a shoreline. Ms. McGuirk is an avid observer and, over many years, has amassed an exciting collection. She has gathered together all sorts of eye-catching and intriguing rocks. She has one for every letter of the alphabet as well as a bird, a couch potato, a dog, an elephant...

Young children will thoroughly enjoy exploring If Rocks Could Sing and are certain to want their own collection of intriguing rocks. Share this with children aged three and up and you're sure to be setting off on your own quest for rocks that sing.