A Pocket Full of Rocks

by Kristin Mahoney, E. B. Goodale (Illustrator)

Overview

"Rocks make excellent chairs for fairies; they are perfect for writing your name on the sidewalk, or just to hold in your hand when you need reassurance. And so the rocks pile up--until the season turns and you need to make room for pockets full of petals. And shells. And acorns! Each season's treasure is kept and curated and loved, until it's time to give the treasures away and make room for new things to come"--

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593428559
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/28/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.31(h) x 0.38(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Kristin Mahoney is a former magazine editor and elementary school reading teacher with a master’s degree in elementary education and literacy from Bank Street College of Education. Her previous titles include the middle-grade novels Elfie Unperfect, Annie’s Life in Lists, and The 47 People You’ll Meet in Middle School. This is her debut picture book. Kristin lives in New Jersey with her husband and two daughters.

E. B. Goodale is an author and illustrator who comes from a background of printmaking and letterpress printing. She made her foray into picture books with Windows by Julia Denos, which received an Ezra Jack Keats honor for illustration and was an ALA-ALSC Notable book for 2018. She has illustrated several other books for children and is the author-illustrator of Under the Lilacs, Also, and The Moon Remembers.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Many rich threads intersect in this seasonal meditation, including the feeling of delight and abundance supplied by natural objects, a child’s inner confidence and imagination even in the face of commentary, and the anchoring effect of an object that’s “just there in your pocket when you need something to touch, gathered and solid and cool." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "One part observation and two parts inspiration. A picture book rooted in a childlike sense of intertwined fantasy and reality." —Booklist, starred review

★ "[A] thoughtful read-aloud for story time or classroom settings....This heartfelt ode to childhood’s boundless imagination and the treasures it uncovers along the way will inspire conversation and creativity." —School Library Journal, starred review

"A meditative homage to the creative universe inside a child’s mind—and pockets." —Kirkus Reviews

"Mahoney’s debut combines soothing, meditative prose with Goodale’s textured, mixed-media backdrops and vignettes, gently inviting readers to explore the beauty of the seasons and appreciate the joy of collecting small treasures." —The Bulletin

"A quiet yet vibrant celebration of nature, art, imagination, and individuality." —The Horn Book

From the Publisher

2024-09-28
Throughout the year, a youngster explores all the things one can do with a pocketful of nature.

Anyone who washes a child’s clothes learns an important lesson—check the pockets first. But where an adult might find a jumble of rocks and other detritus, a child sees a world of comfort and possibility. Told in the second person with a repeating structure, the story follows a little one who gathers up treasures from nature and puts them to imaginative use. In the winter, a pocketful of rocks becomes “chairs for fairies to rest on.” Spring flower petals are transformed into perfume. Summer brings shells that sound like the ocean, and fall acorns make “perfect hats for the fairies now that the weather is getting cool.” At the end of each season, the child transfers the treasures into a jar to make room for the next discoveries. When the year ends, the young protagonist gifts them to the rest of the family. With an empty jar and a pocketful of rocks, the cycle starts again. A sour note in an otherwise sweet story is the dismissiveness of the protagonist’s family. With each new pocketful, Mom, Dad, and the child’s sister look up from their own activities to discourage the young narrator; petals will wilt, and collecting shells brings in sand. Still, the solitary child finds a way to make space for creativity. Soft, colorful illustrations provide quiet beauty. Characters are brown-skinned.

A meditative homage to the creative universe inside a child’s mind—and pockets.(Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews