I am a Rock. I am an Alphabet Book.

If Rocks Could Sing: A Discovered Alphabet by  Leslie McGuirk ($15.99, Tricycle Press, all ages)  is just so clever you will kick yourself you did not think of it. How often have you strolled beaches or parks and picked up an unusual looking rock only to realize it resembled something else; maybe a pointing finger, a shoe, a human face or an animal? I know I have countless times, but I never could have envisioned an entire alphabet. Rereading the book as I wrote this review, I still marvel at the humor and inventiveness of every page and want to share this book with all my friends and their families.

It not only took a lot of imagination on the part of McGuirk, but dedication, too!  She began collecting all these rocks 10 years ago and patiently waited until she found just what she was seeking, a letter ‘k’! Whether you love ‘c’ is for couch potato, ‘l’ is for lemon or ‘o’ is for ouch, you will be amazed at the variety of rocks that fill the pages.  There are not only rocks forming the letters of the alphabet, but rocks in shapes that help describe the words she has used.  Consider this: would you have, while leisurely walking the same stretch of Florida shoreline as McGuirk,  looked at the very same rocks she selected in ‘t’ is for toast and seen a slice of bread begging to be buttered? I cannot wait to see what idea she comes up with next – a rock cookbook maybe? If anyone can find a rock in the shape of a measuring cup, it’s McGuirk!

This book was reviewed today by Ronna Mandel.