Rocket Writes a Story

by Tad Hills, Tad Hills (Illustrator)

Overview

Inspire a lifelong love of reading with an irresistible dog named Rocket and his teacher, a little yellow bird in this sequel to the New York Times bestselling picture book, How Rocket Learned to Read.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY School Library Journal • Publishers Weekly

"A perfect choice to inspire new readers and writers." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Rocket loves books and he wants to make his own, but he can't think of a story. Encouraged by the little yellow bird to look closely at the world around him for inspiration, Rocket sets out on a journey. Along the way he discovers small details that he has never noticed before, a timid baby owl who becomes his friend, and an idea for a story.

Tad Hills, the creator of the beloved Duck & Goose series delivers another heartwarming story, filled with fresh, charming art making this a favorite for story time. 

Don’t miss the animated movie based on the bestselling Rocket books—now airing on PBS!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780375870866
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/24/2012
Series:	Rocket
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	108,092
Product dimensions:	10.60(w) x 9.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

TAD HILLS is the author and illustrator of How Rocket Learned to Read, Duck & Goose, and Duck, Duck, Goose, all New York Times bestsellers. His Duck & Goose board books include the ALA Notable Book, What's Up Duck?, and the Indie bestseller, Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2012:
"A perfect choice to inspire new readers and writers."

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2012:
“Hills is adept at showing Rocket’s setbacks and successes while offering excellent tips for children following in the dog’s footsteps…Hills gently demonstrates the power of stories to build bridges.”

Starred Review, School Library Journal, July 2012:
“Listeners, readers, and aspiring writers will appreciate the excellent description of the many ways that stories unfold.”

Kids' Indie Next List, Summer 2012

Editorial Reviews

Two years ago, eager learner canine Rocket took his first puppy steps towards literacy in How Rocket Learned to Read. Now he makes a great leap forward by writing his first story. Like a four-legged John Irving or Don DeLillo, he sniffs out words, topics, and characters for his imaginative little tale. Fledgling readers will likely use this cute story by Duck & Goose maestro Tad Hills as a launching pad for their own fiction projects.

In a natural follow-up to How Rocket Learned to Read (2010), the black-and-white puppy with a 1950s crew cut and an irrepressible desire to learn adds writing to his skills. Rocket literally sniffs out new words that he and his teacher, the yellow bird from the first book, display on notes on the branches of a word tree (a project tailor-made for teachers looking for their next bulletin board), and the dog struggles to find a topic, create characters, and find inspiration for his story. Hills is adept at showing Rocket’s setbacks and successes (“When things were going well, he wagged his tail. When he didn’t know what to write, he growled”) while offering excellent tips for children following in the dog’s footsteps. “Remember, stories take time,” says the bird, who pushes Rocket to add details to his story and think about what his characters are like. Along the way, Hills gently demonstrates the power of stories to build bridges: a shy owl in a pine tree (the subject of Rocket’s story) gradually befriends Rocket as the dog shares his story with her. Ages 4–8. (July)

Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2012:
"A perfect choice to inspire new readers and writers."

Starred Review, Publishers Weekly, May 14, 2012:
“Hills is adept at showing Rocket’s setbacks and successes while offering excellent tips for children following in the dog’s footsteps…Hills gently demonstrates the power of stories to build bridges.”

Starred Review, School Library Journal, July 2012:
“Listeners, readers, and aspiring writers will appreciate the excellent description of the many ways that stories unfold.”

Kids' Indie Next List, Summer 2012

From the Publisher

For new reader Rocket, every new book is a treasure and an adventure, "like a place he'd never been to, like a friend he'd never met." The little yellow bird introduced in How Rocket Learned to Read (2010) continues to teach and encourage this special dog. Rocket sniffs out wonderful new words in his environment, and the bird helps him create a glorious word tree. Now Rocket searches for ideas for his own story in which he can use his word collection. A shy, friendly owl provides the inspiration he needs, and he sets to work on his opus. It's not all smooth sailing; he writes, crosses out, and draws pictures, alternately wagging his tail and growling. Yellow bird helps with encouragement and questions, and Rocket keeps the owl informed about his work in progress. His finished story wins rave reviews from his teacher and his new owl friend. Hills maintains the same gentle tone he established in Rocket's first adventure. Yellow bird's innovative and thoughtful teaching methods are perfectly in sync with Rocket's thirst for learning. The plot moves along at a measured pace that stresses the step-by-step process of Rocket's endeavors. Illustrations rendered in oil paints and colored pencil lovingly depict the characters and events. A perfect choice to inspire new readers and writers. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

PreS-Gr 2—The endearing dog who first encountered the joy of words in How Rocket Learned to Read (Random, 2010) wonders what he can do with all the words he's been collecting. "I'm going to write a story!" he announces to his friends, his teacher-a small yellow bird-and the world at large. But a story, he finds, is made of more than just words. With useful questions, positive feedback, and encouragement, Rocket's teacher keeps him interested in the journey that turns his words into something special. And he finds, as many writers do, that his topic (an owl) becomes his friend. Hills varies his perspectives and page formats so successfully that the book's repetitive color scheme never gets tiresome. Children will love deciphering the illustrated words that cover Rocket's teaching tree. Listeners, readers, and aspiring writers will appreciate the excellent description of the many ways that stories unfold.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY

School Library Journal