Rock? Plant? Animal?
How Nature Keeps Us Guessing
(Ages 4-7)
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Awards
2024 Silver Birch Express Award® Winner
About the Book
Can you tell the difference between a rock, a plant, and an animal? While it might sound simple, the vast diversity of life on earth can throw us some serious curveballs! Sometimes, what looks like a plant is actually an animal. Other times, what looks like an animal is actually a plant! Even things that look like living creatures can turn out to be unique rocks.
Young readers are encouraged to challenge their pre-existing ideas about the natural world in this engaging nonfiction book set up as a scientific guessing game, filled with lively illustrations and fun facts.
Each spread features a realistic illustration of either a puzzling critter, a perplexing plant, or a special stone. Every picture is accompanied by a simple prompt: rock, plant, or animal? The answer is revealed by turning the page to discover a beautifully detailed scene and a brief description of the “species.” Even for the most esteemed naturalists, the answers are hard to believe! Rock? Plant? Animal? lets its readers be detectives, encouraging curiosity and embracing surprise.
I remember visiting a marine museum with my husband many years ago. One of the tanks contained what looked like a large number of rocks. While pleasant to glance at, I was anxious to move on to other tanks. But my husband just stood staring at these rocks. “What was so interesting about rocks?” I thought. And then I had the surprise of my life. One of the “rocks” moved! It wasn’t a rock, after all. It was an animal called an anemone waving its tentacles, looking for food.
Reviews
"Readers who like quirky guessing games or weird nature facts will get a kick out of this interactive book."
— Booklist
"It would also be a wonderful gift to a child interested in the natural world. It is an entertaining door into the mysteries of nature and encourages attention to detail."
—★ ★ ★ ★ ★ rating—Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database
"An enjoyable nature puzzle with welcome substance."
— Kirkus
"Guessing ... is sure to be the allure of this book for kids."
— Sal's Fiction Addiction
AVAILABLE AT:
About the Book
Can you tell the difference between a rock, a plant, and an animal? While it might sound simple, the vast diversity of life on earth can throw us some serious curveballs! Sometimes, what looks like a plant is actually an animal. Other times, what looks like an animal is actually a plant! Even things that look like living creatures can turn out to be unique rocks.
Young readers are encouraged to challenge their pre-existing ideas about the natural world in this engaging nonfiction book set up as a scientific guessing game, filled with lively illustrations and fun facts.
Each spread features a realistic illustration of either a puzzling critter, a perplexing plant, or a special stone. Every picture is accompanied by a simple prompt: rock, plant, or animal? The answer is revealed by turning the page to discover a beautifully detailed scene and a brief description of the “species.” Even for the most esteemed naturalists, the answers are hard to believe! Rock? Plant? Animal? lets its readers be detectives, encouraging curiosity and embracing surprise.
REVIEWS:
"Readers who like quirky guessing games or weird nature facts will get a kick out of this interactive book."
— Booklist
"It would also be a wonderful gift to a child interested in the natural world. It is an entertaining door into the mysteries of nature and encourages attention to detail."
—★ ★ ★ ★ ★ rating—Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database
"An enjoyable nature puzzle with welcome substance.”
— Kirkus
"Guessing ... is sure to be the allure of this book for kids."
— Sal's Fiction Addiction
Awards
★ 2024 Silver Birch Express Award® Winner
AVAILABLE AT: