Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Summary: Tall Pine, Spotted Beetle, and Hummingbird all think Old Rock must be bored, sitting in the same spot day after day. But Old Rock has been around, and he has a lot more interesting stories to tell than his friends could have guessed. For instance, Hummingbird is not the only one who has flown. When Old Rock erupted out of a volcano, he soared through the air into the world. He’s also seen dinosaurs, traveled in a glacier, and somersaulted down a mountain. Now he enjoys spending his days in the field, visited by his friends, who conclude that it’s a nice spot and that Old Rock is definitely not boring. Includes a timeline of Old Rock’s adventures, going back 18 billion years. 40 pages; ages 4-8.
Pros: A delightful story that can be appreciated on many levels: geological history, intergenerational sharing, or simply enjoying the present moment.
Cons: Tall Pine hardly seems in a position to give Old Rock a hard time about staying in the same spot all the time.
