A Rock Is Lively

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston & Sylvia Long, 2012.

This is an addition to a series by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long, who have collaborated on An Egg is Quiet, A Seed is Sleepy and A Butterfly is Patient. It describes the many things that a rock can be: galactic, helpful, recycled, etc and shows the reader why. For example, a galactic rock can be a meteoroid, a comet or an asteroid. Long's magnificent watercolor illustrations grab the attention. The endpapers are the beautiful blue of a mineral painted rock. A turn of the page brings us to naturally decorative rocks of all sorts.These same rocks are shown again on the final endpapers, this time with each type labeled. Inside, dozens more rocks are drawn and identified, such as Azurite Geode, Lapis Lazuli, and Greenstone. Each is shown off to advantage, like the large Snowflake Obsidian, its bulk and solidity contrasted against vivid and delicate flowers growing against it. This title will develop or enhance the reader's appreciation of the beauty and variety of rocks and minerals.