Pocket Rocks

by Sheree Fitch, Helen Flook (Illustrator)

Overview

No matter how hard he tries, even with the help of his classroom aide, Ian Goobie can't do the things that the other children in his class can do.

Every day he dreads going to school. Then he finds a rock, a rock that fits perfectly in his pocket, a rock that touches all his senses and whisks him away into a whole other world. From then on, as long as he has a rock in his pocket, Ian Goobie can manage his daily challenges. That is, until he stuffs so many rocks in his pockets that his pants fall down right outside in the schoolyard, in front of all his classmates. This might be the biggest challenge Ian Goobie has had to face yet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459817463
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	02/06/2018
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.12(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Sheree Fitch has won almost every major award for Canadian children's literature, including the 2000 Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, which acknowledges a "body of work inspirational to Canadian children." She has over twenty-five books to her credit. Her home base is on the east coast of Canada.

Helen Flook was born and grew up in the beautiful countryside of Wales. She has a Degree in Graphic Design from the Norwich School of Art. Helen has illustrated numerous children's books, including many Orca picture books and early chapter books in the Orca Echoes series. She lives and works in Abergwyngregyn, a village in Wales.

Read an Excerpt

The thing of it was, Ian wished every day was someplace else. Or summertime. Or Saturday. He wished he could go anyplace else but school.

Editorial Reviews

"Sheree Fitch leaves the reader to ponder how rocks, like stories, have hidden worlds inside them that make one feel safe. Helen Flook's comical watercolor illustrations are filled with movement and expression that beautifully complement this lighthearted story. Peppered with metaphors and figurative language, this is a beautifully told story that will resonate with any child who has ever felt less than perfect. A simple extension activity might be to have each child bring in a rock and share why it is unique and special."

School Library Connection

"Flook's work seems to radiate the energy and magic of the rocks...Highly recommended."

CM Magazine

The energetic illustrations by Helen Flook are happy and appealing and she projects childhood imagination very successfully.

Resource Links

2017-10-16
A boy collects rocks that inspire his imagination while coping with school.Ian Goobie is a white boy with poofy, curly red hair. He always dreads school because, despite his school aide, a white man named BJ, he "could not do the things everyone else could do." When he starts to collect rocks that trigger his vivid imagination, he finds he is able to better cope with the difficulties of everyday life—until his pants become so heavy with rocks that they fall down in front of his peers. Mortified, Ian is inconsolable until he meets a white storyteller who announces to the class that he also keeps a rock in his pocket, even as an adult. Thanks to this storyteller, Ian is no longer ostracized, he successfully spells his name with rocks, and he gains self-confidence. While Ian exhibits some behaviors that indicate he may not be neurotypical, the text never identifies or even suggests what his disabilities might be, missing an opportunity to truly provide a window or mirror for readers. Supporting characters are mostly white like Ian, although Ian's one Asian classmate has noticeably slanted eyes, unlike any of his peers. Flook's illustrations appear unintentionally dated, with character apparel reminiscent of the 1990s.Well-intentioned but misses the mark. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews

"It is a pleasure to read aloud."

"Helen Flook's vibrant acrylic ink illustrations will readily appeal to children."

Canadian Children's Book News