Woo hoo! It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday again!
I don’t know why I’m always surprised by how fast the week has gone by, but somehow I always am! 😊
This week I’ve been totally absorbed in new story ideas and that makes the time fly! Whether any of the ideas will turn out to be any good remains to be seen, but I’ve had lots of those days where you’re so involved in writing that hours go by without you even noticing. I love when that happens. (Although it does mean that some other things – like vacuuming 😊 – fall by the wayside!) But when you have ideas, you have to write them down or they’ll disappear. The vacuuming will always be there! 😊
The book I’m sharing today is a lovely, quiet one, so beautifully written that it makes me want to be able to write like that! 😊 I hope you’ll like it!
Title: A Pocket Full Of Rocks
Written By: Kristin Mahoney
Illustrated By: E. B. Goodale
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 28, 2025), fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-7
Themes/Topics: seasons, nature, perspective, imagination
text copyright Kristin Mahoney 2025, illustration copyright E. B. Goodale 2025, Knopf Books
Opening:
“You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks.
Your mom will say the rocks are making your coat dirty.
Your dad will ask where you’re going to put your other mitten.
Your sister will tell you they are just ordinary rocks.
But you know they are not ordinary.”
text copyright Kristin Mahoney 2025, illustration copyright E. B. Goodale 2025, Knopf Books
Brief Synopsis: [from the publisher] “A sweet and soulful celebration of how a child’s imagination can transform ordinary objects into extraordinary treasures. You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks…”
text copyright Kristin Mahoney 2025, illustration copyright E. B. Goodale 2025, Knopf Books
Links To Resources: Some things kids like to collect are rocks, shells, acorns, leaves, and flower petals. What things do you like to collect? Why? Do they make you feel a certain way? Do you use them for anything in particular? You can use them to run a store, build something, create art, or pretend they’re something else! Do you have a friend who likes to collect the same things? Or different things? Collecting is all about curiosity, imagination, exploration, and learning, and can be a way to connect with nature and with friends!
text copyright Kristin Mahoney 2025, illustration copyright E. B. Goodale 2025, Knopf Books
Why I Like This Book: This book is such a lovely, quiet read. It has a very soothing, meditative read aloud rhythm. The story explores the idea of collecting things in nature and using them as part of imaginative play (in spite of the comments the practical members of your family might have!) as well as finding other imaginative uses for them. The child is unperturbed by the family’s sometimes less-than-positive comments, and very generous in making thoughtful gifts. Meanwhile, the art shows the beauty of the items – rocks, flower petals, acorns, etc… – common enough, and yet how can such things ever really be common when each is unique and beautiful? I love the sensory element of this story, too, the way the child likes the feel of each item in their hand and how comforting and pleasant the different things are in their pocket. A wonderful story for any time you want to settle things down a bit, or for any child who enjoys nature and/or collecting things.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! 😊
Susanna Leonard Hill 
Discovery is such a big part of learning. What’s extra special is these items are free. It brings back memories of collecting so many interesting things and loving finding them. Thank you for sharing. ♥️
Susanna, I love this book. Glad it’s getting love and attention!
Rocks are such treasures for kids – how few things they can just pick up and take! And feel rich!
Wonderful! I am a rock (and other bits of nature) collector, so this book is perfect! Thanks, Susanna. Actually, I’ve convinced my grands that I love rocks they bring me. I get plenty! LOL
I love to collect rocks, too. I think this may be a lovely book to share my love of rock collecting with the grandkids.
As a parent of a kid who was in a Waldorf preschool, I love how children respond to the natural world, something that I feel is important to their development. But maybe that’s because I grew up on a farm with woods behind the fields that I explored at will. This looks like a beautiful book that celebrates a child’s sense of wonder and imagination. And I can think of several other rock books to pair with this one. Thanks for the rec!
Sounds so sweet.
This PB will resonate with all of the little “collectors”! My own kids, when they were young, as well as my “classroom” kids love to collect “things”! I’m looking forward to reading this PB! 😊
I don’t know whatever happened to my shoebox of rocks and fossils (found in the gravel at Grandma’s house), but I wish I still had them!
This picture book speaks to the little collector inside of me. I can’t remember when my pockets weren’t bursting after a nature walk through the woods or along the beach. My kitchen windowsill holds numerous jars of all sizes, all filled with treasures. This is a book I know I will love. Thank you for a wonderful review.