A Rock Is Born: An Epic Journey Through Time

by Richard Ho, Lily Williams (Illustrator)

Overview

Follow the epic life cycle of one rock from its prehistoric creation to modern day, in this transportive nonfiction picture book perfect for fans of GRAND CANYON and the Over and Under series.

Over one hundred million years ago, on the side of a volcano....a rock is born.

As time passes and the world changes, the rock changes, too. Mud erodes it. Lava melts it. And water compresses it.

Eventually, the rock will be reshaped. And a new rock is born.

Award-winning creators Richard Ho and Lily Williams bring to life an evocative and educational picture book about the life cycle of a rock in this bold nonfiction tale perfect for any classroom or bookshelf.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250749925
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	07/29/2025
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Richard Ho is a children’s book author who was once, himself, a child. He is a former journalist and educational scriptwriter who enjoys writing stories about science, culture, and the magic of everyday life. Red Rover is his first book for young readers.

Lily Williams is the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of the If Animals Disappeared picture book series and graphic novels Go With The Flow and Look On The Bright Side. She grew up in Northern California and worked in feature film animation before moving to Colorado. Lily seeks to inspire change through education and believes in the power of making information fun and accessible for all audiences.

Editorial Reviews

05/05/2025

In the final images of this geological odyssey, a park ranger points out an unassuming gray rock that sits on the side of a hiking trail—a humble presence that, as Ho (A Taste of Home) and Williams (Look on the Bright Side) examine in the preceding pages, is actually a time-traveling witness to and participant in millennia of dramatic transformations. Minimalist, measured text and cartooned scenes that feature multiple cross sections walk readers through timescales beyond human experience, emphasizing how a rock goes through multiple iterations: “Heat melts it./ Pressure shapes it./ The rock reforms.../ ...into something new.” The work captures various forces that impact the rock as it moves, from its first appearance on the side of a smoking mountain 130 million years ago to sharing a landscape with dinosaurs 90 million years ago, tumbling into ocean depths 10 million years ago, and, coming full circle, blasting into the sky in a 1980 volcanic eruption. It’s a long-form reminder that even the most ordinary objects can contain extraordinary histories. Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. More about rocks concludes. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily Mitchell, Wernick & Pratt. Illustrator’s agent: Minju Chang, Bookstop Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

"An appropriately fast-moving and energetic chronicle." — Kirkus Reviews

"A long-form reminder that even the most ordinary objects can contain extraordinary histories." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

2025-04-04
“Forged in fire” and “cooled by air,” a rock born from a volcanic explosion 115 million years ago undergoes dramatic shifts throughout its long life.

Readers first glimpse the rock from an unusual perspective: through the chunky legs of a dinosaur. As time passes, mammals and birds replace dinosaurs, and the rock changes as well: “Rain softens it. Wind whittles it.” Mud and water eventually sweep the rock into the sea—a dynamic scene that requires readers to turn the book to follow its trail. Water eventually transforms the rock into a grain of sand until it undergoes its sedimentary phase, depicted in a beautiful cutaway scene as layers of plants and animals press down upon the rock. Accompanied by Williams’ bold, color-saturated images, Ho’s simple, declarative sentences move the action along at a swift clip. “Plates collide. Mountains grow.” The rock disappears underground, where it undergoes its metamorphic phase of heating, melting, and transforming. In 1980, a volcanic eruption (Mt. St. Helens, per the backmatter) thrusts the newborn rock onto the ground of a contemporary national park, where a diverse group of people learn about its history.

An appropriately fast-moving and energetic chronicle. (information about types of rocks and the rock life cycle, sources)(Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews