Rock

by Laurel Croza, Matt James (illustrator)

Award-winning creators Laurel Croza and Matt James have come together once again to tell the story of what happens when a bullying seagull and a rock meet on the beach. 


When a seagull mistakes a small rock for food, it angrily spits it out. “What do you think you are?” the seagull demands. “I am a rock,” the rock responds. But the seagull refuses to accept this, insisting that the rock is more like a pebble, or a stone. It predicts that the rock will be thrown into the water and sink, and even if it manages to be washed ashore, the same thing will happen again and again, until the rock is worn down to a mere speck. After all, the rock has no shine, color, crystals or speckles … In short, it is nothing special.


But a child enjoying a day at the beach sees the rock differently, and their creation in the sand affirms what the rock has known about itself all along.


A quirky, vibrant and very memorable picture book about staying true to yourself.







Key Text Features


dialogue;illustrations







Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2


Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.


CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4


Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Birds, Childrens

52 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a seagull hurts its beak pecking on a small rock, the seagull begins hurling abuse at the rock. Each time the seagull rants that the rock is insignificant, dull, and worse, but the rock is unmoved and just responds "I am a rock." Later the seagull leaves when a child collecting rocks approaches. The child picks up the small rock and includes it in a circle of rocks. There's a lot going on in this story about not letting a bully change who you are and getting away from a toxic environment to a place where you are appreciated. However, this is a book that is best used with older readers because the seagull is cruel and frightening. A thoughtful picture book that has a lot of potential for meaningful discussions!

[Milah Monforti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It made me sad. Why the seagulls pick on him? He’s just a rock. ☹️

[Taylor M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A poignant and incredibly nuanced portrayal of bullying and one’s resolve to not succumb to the harsh words of others. Without even saying a word and using Matt’s gorgeous illustrations, a tertiary character (a little girl) is introduced and demonstrates how the actions of a friend can be so incredibly meaningful.

5/5!

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

A greedy seagull dives at Rock from the sky, mistaking it for a tasty snack. Belligerently, the bird squawks “What do you think you are?” “I am a rock,” it counters. The seagull snappishly begins to belittle the rock, calling it a pebble or perhaps a stone, but Rock simpy reiterates its claim. So caught up is the gull in its bullying that it fails to notice a little girl (light-colored skin and long, swingy brown hair) enjoying her day at the beach. Charging at the chorus of gulls croaking “miniscule… insignificant… just a speck and risk disappearing completely”, the girl tenderly scoops up the rock and uses it as the last puzzle piece in a lovely heart she’s created in the sand, composed of found objects. This is a simple and timeless tribute to having faith in one’s self and standing up to the chattering classes. Matt James’s bold artwork (acrylic paint and ink on wood, Masonite, and cardboard) doesn’t shy away from portraying the ugly nature of the seagull’s pettiness. The giant bird’s beady eye and menacing sharp beak loom over the small, plain rock, employing a clever and shifting perspective. From the rock’s point of view, the birds are giant harpies, although when we shift to the human view, they seem merely familiar and goofy, easily startled away by a small child waving her arms. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about bullying/verbal abuse that also emphasizes self-esteem.

When a seagull mistakes a small rock for a pebble, he berates the rock for being "so small". The rock responds "I am a rock." Frustrated, the seagull keeps up belittling the rock until a small girl who is beachcoming picks up the rock and adds it to a picture she has drawn on the sand using rocks just like this one.

Once again, Croza comes straight to the point on a tough topic and offers a solution to the problem. This could be used as an exemplar of another way to deal with bullies, giving teachers, counselors, and parents another tool for their toolbox.

Matt James' illustrations were rendered using acrylic and ink on acette, wood, masonite, and cardboard. They are bright and colorful, showing lots of movement by the seagulls. Astute readers will note the little girl walking on the beach in the distance, coming closer to the rock with the turn of several pages. The final image is incredibly strong. I especially liked touching the texture added to the rock on the cover of the book. Beautiful!

Use in classes when discussing kindness, how words can hurt, building self-esteem and self-confidence, and validation. Although the text is minimal, it can be used in higher grades as a discussion starter.

Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 5.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rock sits on the beach and several taunting seagulls come by. They bully it - telling the rock all the many things wrong with it, with being a rock - and we see a girl playing in the distance. Eventually, we see what the rock will be to the girl, and what it means to be “a rock.” A sedate and poetic picture book, "Rock" is a look at a bullying scenario where the victim stands strong, reiterating that they know who they are, even in the face of merciless taunts. The acrylic and ink art is simple yet multi-layered; we see almost the same scene over and over, but the colors change, the perspective changes, and the textures seem to vary. Croza’s prose is direct and almost painful to hear, but it manages to show meanness without being didactic or dramatic. I think this book is powerful and useful for many different age groups. I highly recommend it as an SEL title without all the usual trappings, in a good way, as it avoids the hackneyed pitfalls that usually show up in a story trying to teach children about feelings. I highly recommend this book and will be purchasing it for my library.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for this ARC.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just so fun! A book about resisting bullying, but also full of humor and the joy of the outdoors. The author has anthropomorphized the speech of the creatures, but all the situations are natural. (Gulls just naturally sound like they are screaming insults.)

A gull embarrasses itself by pecking at a rock, thinking it is something good to eat washed up on the beach. To cover for this, the gull attacks the rock in stingingly belittling ways. The rock simply insists on its identity. And in the end, is redeemed. Kids and adults will recognize the situation -- and rejoice in its lovely resolution.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous book - read in NYC bookstore next to my beautiful college daughter. We loved it but kept giggling a bit imagining - what if you didn’t make it to the end of this read aloud? Or the child who was hearing it couldn’t see that the resolution that negates the attacks of the seagull is all based in pictures and not in words? That would be the worst bedtime story in the land of feel-good bedtime stories. ;)

[Natalia Paruzel-Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having a rock solid understanding of who you are and what you stand is always crucial.

ROCK knows his truth even when bullied by a seagull who continues to challenge rock’s identity and importance. The perspective shifts dramatically when a girl playing on the beach takes a keen interest in the rock.

Beautifully written by Laurel Croza, and filled with striking illustrations by Matt James, ROCK is a profound picture book with an enduring message

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bird tries to tell a rock what it is while the rock simply responds that is a rock. In the end a child uses the rock to make something better.

A deceptively simple story that goes a bit existential, showing that even the smallest thing can be part of something bigger and beautiful and that no one can tell you who you are

[Emily Cait]

I received access to a copy of Rock from the publishers through work.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

An existential book about a rock that is bullied by a seagull who tells the rock he is nothing special. The rock disagrees and thinks just being a rock is special enough.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perspective and visuals of this seemingly simple book are powerful and worthy of close looks and re-reads.
Lots of potential for discussion about identity and bullying, too.

[Alison Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like how this can be interpretated along with the imagination and creativity of this story.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't let anyone tell you who you are.