A Rainbow of Rocks

I have always been fascinated with rocks. The pictures of the rocks is what made me pick this title up at the local library. Inside the pictures show close-up views of the different rocks which are high quality showing lots of details. However, the text didn't really interest me and I found myself wanting the book to end. The text is rhyming that I'm not sure really works. The name of the stone is in colored text that sometimes makes it hard to see on the black background. The back of the book has question and answer section that has a little more details but still I didn't feel very engaged.

Although this title didn't become a favorite pick, it is a beautiful picture book for the subject of rocks.

Budding geologists and lovers of all things sparkly will be delighted with this gem of a picture book.

The black end pages are decorated with a sparkling variety of rocks, crystals, and gems. The book introduces a variety of minerals by their colors, with a simple sentence explaining an attribute of each item. Red claystone is "crumbly and crushable" while red ruby is "near unbreakable." Additional minerals, copper and iron, tinge sunstone and citrine with orange hues. The final colors compare black obsidian and basalt and then the sparkling rainbow hues of labradorite and bornite. The final page ends the cheerful rhyming sentences with "Rocks in every shape and hue. Each one's different, just like you!"

Back matter includes simple show more question and answer paragraphs about minerals, rocks, and the materials in the book. Readers are encouraged to compare and contrast them, ask questions about how they look, feel, and can be changed, and their colors. A geologist is acknowledged for his assistance in creating the book and there is copyright information for the photographs.

Verdict: A great read-aloud for storytime, this would be fun for a rock and crystal storytime, or a unique look at colors.

ISBN: 9781782859864; Published May 2020 by Barefoot books; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; On order for my library show less

Colors and geology, geared for younger readers.