It’s been a good year for picture books for the new semester. If it were a normal sophomore charming and clever book, puppy bath When little yellow bus, would vie for the crown of Best New Back to School Book. But this is no ordinary year. Rick the Rock in room 214.
The desire of rocks in our lives has been the subject of deep philosophical contemplation for us humans since time immemorial. It can be seen that he felt a sense of emptiness in repeatedly rolling rocks down the hill. But how did Rock feel about it? Julie Faratko pulls back the veil of rock’s inner world with a sensationally entertaining new picture book. Rick the Rock in Room 214The Nature Finds Shelf in room 214 is the kind of fascinating exploration of desires, minds, wisdom and experiences that philosophers have tried to throw away over the years.
Faratko’s epistemological feat is greatly aided by rock maestra Ruth Chan. Ruth Chan’s ironically expressive paintings evoke laughter and smiles again and again on every page. I caught up with Julie to find out more about what apparently Back to School her Book of the Century is.
Kenny: Burke, like Rick the Rock, is an important member of Room 214’s natural discovery shelf. Tell us a little bit about their backstory. Do you have a name? Are those ski poles or is he a limb in Room 214?
Julie: That bark shard is from the natural find ledge that you evaded danger to get to Room 214. If you were a bark and fell from a tree to the dirt, you would quickly decompose.
They are Q-Tips held by sticky stuff. Clay, silly putty, gum. Bark accepts these children’s arms with dignity because it means they are supported. But ski poles! That’s something to think about.
Every person on the Nature Finds shelf has a name. I only know Rick. The reader should understand all the remaining names.
Kenny: How does having an adventure change Rick’s relationship with adventure? Was writing a book an adventure for you?
Julie: He likes to go on adventures. now he knows At first, he thought “having an adventure” must mean exploding from a volcano – something daring, dangerous, and unusual. Is there anything more adventurous than that? Well, perhaps an explosion from a volcano is more adventurous. Exploding from a volcano, falling off a cliff and tumbling down a waterfall, being in an elementary school classroom… these are the only three possible adventures. Oh! And I am writing a book. OK: Explosions, Cliffs/Waterfalls, Classrooms, Writing. Writing every book is an adventure!
Kenny: Wild Rock seems a little too stoic for his own good. If Rick hadn’t been rescued, would he have gone in that direction? Do you have?
Julie: Rick will forever be Inside Rock. When he walks with his child, he sometimes jumps into the dirt and picks up rocks. That rock may seem ordinary and insignificant to you as an adult, but a child knows. The rock was screaming. I’m always freezing
I’m curious if people become more concerned with Rick or the rocks outside. I’m thinking of people of all ages I know, people who are vocal about valuing inner comfort, people who brave the elements and list all the big adventures they’ve had .
Kenny: Does Ruth Chan have a lot of rock friends?
Julie: OK, just said it’s Ruth, as well as kids longing for an inner life who can hear the cries of the rocks. Ruth is all rock’s friend. She really is a bit of a rock whisperer. If there’s an unruly rock in your life, call Ruth. She lines it up. Wait, am I thinking of dogs? boulder collie? is that a thing?
Kenny: Your book tackles topics such as friendship, home, and belonging that are often heavily weighted in picture books in a very artful and fun way. Was a light touch an emphasis when creating Rick?
Julie: Oh, thank you. I think it was more than that, but I think it would be weird if it weighed friendship. None of them are large, serious specimens. Rick is, in many ways, an ordinary gray rock. He is not a shining crystal; Moss barely has a face. Bark is essentially tree debris. Eh, I see, I wonder if I could go as far as saying, “Even if you’re an ordinary person, you’re extraordinary for me.” of course. yes. That’s not how my brain works! I never thought about it before. I am more likely to lean into silly things. It’s more fun for me, all the time.
Kenny: Thank you Julie!
Julie: Thank you Kenny! Now I can’t help but think about the possibility of a story where Bark goes skiing.
Julie and Ruth’s imaginative delights have so much to love, so many tones and elements, so many shades of humor, adventure and truth. Rick the Rock in Room 214 It must be fate. We should all take Rick off the bookshelf, take him out into the wild, and let him travel home to our young readers.
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