As picture book writers, we know there’s the “through-line” (this story is about…) and the “heart-line” (this story is REALLY about…). A STONE IS A STORY, by Leslie Barnard Booth and illustrated by Marc Martin (M.K. Elderberry Books/Simon & Schuster, 2023), is about how rocks form. But it’s REALLY about nurturing in a child the wonder of all they might become.
If, like Booth, you love the natural world and you’re a poet with a passion for rocks and you have a worldview of wonder, then when your child asks “Where do rocks come from?” you tell them a story. The story of a stone.
From the opening page, there is an intimacy, like a beloved family elder telling the story of your ancestors.
From there, Booth paints a lyrical story of the journey of a stone with vivid word choices: magma oozing, lava gushing, and the page turns begin.
Roots are wrenched; rock crushed, dragged, swept up, ground down.
For such a short text (266 words), she weaves a satisfying path between building and slowing pace as the rock becomes a spec of sand sent out to sea where it waits for millions of years.
Martin’s watercolors complement the text so well, blending the sense of time; the eons that pass as dinosaurs and mammoths and the long wait till humans appear.
And then at word #216, the storyteller now speaks directly to the child, making the child part of the story of a stone: Its transformation is incomplete until “you” pick it up.
IÂ was delighted to interview Leslie about her book.
PF: The title drew me in the moment I heard about A STONE IS A STORY. When did you know this would be the title?
LBB: My daughter asked me, “Where do rocks come from?” and that spurred my interest in creating a book for young people on this topic. After an abandoned attempt at a humorous graphic novel about the rock cycle, I decided to switch gears and write a lyrical picture book. As soon as I made that choice, this title leapt into my mind. The title was really the seed of the story. Then it was a matter of harnessing research and language and sound design to express the deeper meaning of this driving metaphor.
PF: Often when writing a book, authors “interview” their characters. Did you ever have conversations with the stone to flesh out its story?
LBB: Actually, without meaning to, I did do this. Before I wrote the first draft of A Stone Is a Story, I sat down and wrote a longish, humorous graphic-novel style script in which a girl interviews a rock. It was called “The Life Story of a Rock” and/or “Autobiography of a Rock.” It included facts and science, but all wrapped in this absurd and jaunty premise of this girl interviewing a rock for her podcast, with the rock insisting throughout that its life story was not boring. The interview was fun but it became unwieldly and there wasn’t any real magic in it. I needed a different container for my ideas and for my big feelings about rocks. Around that time, I was attending lots of SCBWI webinars and reading tons of picture books. One presenter—I think it was editor Katie Heit—highlighted Water Is Water, a book I had recently read with my kids. That’s when everything clicked. Here was a perfect mentor text for me. I reread Water Is Water (Miranda Paul, illus. Jason Chin) and The Stuff of Stars (Marion Dane Bauer, illus. Ekua Holmes). And then I sat down and wrote A Stone Is a Story.
PF: How did you land on this POV? It feels so meditational. Candace Fleming is a proponent of writing numerous drafts to try out different points of view. This story could’ve been written in first-person (like A RIVER OF DUST). I love how you don’t really know it’s going to be 2nd person POV till almost the very end, which gives it an even more close-up feel.
LBB: With this particular book, the POV came out this way from the beginning, and I just trusted it. I kind of surrendered to my creative brain and let my analytical brain relax. Later, of course, I turned on my analytical brain for revisions, and there certainly were revisions, but the POV felt just right to me, and I never experimented with anything different. I love the rush of writing a first draft and letting it pour out without any inhibition. As a person who can be overly analytical at times, it’s a relief for me to be in that early stage of writing, where you can take any risk you want and there is no such thing as a mistake.
PF: Did you submit the manuscript with line breaks to indicate page turns or did the page turns come as a result of the editor and art director?
LBB: I’m pretty sure I had the page turns in the manuscript when I submitted it. I think I had them numbered and bracketed. These days I don’t include numbered pages when I submit. I just leave an extra space where I think the page turn should be. That way, editors who don’t want page turns aren’t annoyed, but those who do want them can see that they’re there. When I’m working on a manuscript, I do have bracketed numbers in place to help me with pacing. Then I just remove them when it’s time to submit. For A Stone Is a Story, I think we ended up using most of the page turns I had mapped out, with a few changes here and there.
PF: One of the many levels of appeal for me is the poetry. A STONE IS A STORY is really a poem full of lush lyrical language, vivid imagery, and powerful verbs. Did you ever have to “kill your babies,” –that is, were there words or phrases you had to leave out or let go of?
LBB: Thank you so much, Patricia. In this case, there weren’t any painful cuts to the main text that I can recall. However, someone—whose name I sadly don’t remember; I had just met her that day—told me in a roundtable critique at an SCBWI-Oregon event that the manuscript needed one last bit added at the end, something to suggest the future of the rock. And she was so right! I added the final line—“and all it might become,” and it made the book complete. In previous drafts, I had included a similar line (“and all it might come to be”), but I’d cut it because I didn’t like how it sounded; it just didn’t sing. So thank goodness that insightful reader made me look at that spot again and find a way to make that line work. I guess that’s a case where I cut too much and left a hole in the manuscript. Oh and I should mention, I did make LOTS of cuts to the backmatter at my editor’s request. She was 100% right to want it trimmed down; what I turned in originally was way too long. It took a lot of time, but it was well worth it. I could see that the backmatter was becoming sharper, clearer, and more accessible the more I whittled it down.
PF: You mentored me in the development of my desert story and pushed me to make it stronger. Were there or are they authors who inspired you as you wrote this one? How did you know it was finished?
LBB: It was an absolute honor to work with you on your beautiful manuscript, and I can’t wait to hold your book in my hands! The mentor texts I mentioned by Miranda Paul and Marion Dane Bauer were huge. Vivian Kirkfield did an SCBWI webinar about nonfiction that was also really inspiring to me. She has such a positive outlook and helped me believe that I could actually do this. Another person I have to mention is Sarah Jane Marsh. I don’t think this book would exist if it weren’t for her. She was the author leading the SCBWI-Oregon roundtable critique I mentioned earlier. After I shared my manuscript with the group, she said, “This is done. You need to submit it.” I really had no idea it was that close to ready. I almost didn’t even bring it with me that day to the event. I think it can be really hard to gauge a manuscript’s readiness. I still struggle with that. So getting feedback from someone from the outside, someone who can be candid with you, is essential.
PF: Every writer imagines the visuals that bring their story to life. How did Marc Martin’s illustrations transform this manuscript?
LBB: Gosh, I just couldn’t be happier with Marc’s stunning artwork. He brought out that meditative feeling you describe, and a sense of deep time, brilliantly portraying water-washed gold-brown-red earth. Marc’s bleeding watercolors speak to the ways water shapes stone over long periods of time. The watercolors, given the freedom to flow naturally on the page, form patterns we see in nature. In this way, Marc’s art conveys nature through nature—by surrendering some control, and letting the forces of water and gravity literally shape the images. Marc’s art is its own poetry. It is full of intrigue and emotional layers. It invites contemplation and sweeps the reader away on a journey into Earth’s deep past.
PF: You’ve shared that your husband is a geologist, so I imagine you’ve been surrounded by rocks all your life! Do you collect special rocks or stones? What are they? Where do you keep them?
LBB: Yes! So many rocks! Our whole family collects rocks, and the shelves in our basement are spilling over. I still have some of the rocks I collected as a child, and I treasure them now just as much as I did then. My favorite rocks are fossils. I love that feeling of connection I get when I hold a fossil in my hand—a connection to a time so different from ours, and yet also alike in fundamental ways. I find crinoid fossils particularly beautiful and strange. I also treasure a piece of basalt I collected at the foot of an actively erupting volcano in Iceland. It was incredible to see the red-hot lava turn scaly and black, transforming into solid rock right before our eyes.
I love this story for so many reasons, but probably the biggest is its poetry. While Martin’s work adds a gorgeous layer to the story, Booth’s text itself was artwork.
Booth is essential in her words, using only those needed to convey the action and imagery of a scene. My favorite lines are one-word! Molded. Carved. It begs to be read aloud – as every great picture book must. Her line breaks guide us in where to pause, with longer spaces between some words to slow the cadence of the reader.
Who should grab a copy of this book? Anyone who loves rocks! Anyone who loves someone who loves rocks! Anyone who holds something in their hands and wonders not just about its story, but about what it might become (looking at you, moms and dads).
GIVEAWAY!
Leave a comment by Feb. 14th about A STONE IS A STORY to be eligible to win a copy.
Winner will be announced on my 2/16 Poetry Friday post!
You can purchase A STORY IS A STONE at any of these links:
Annie Bloom’s — signed copies available!
Ask for it at your libraries.
And of course, authors appreciate reviews!
It’s PoetryFriday!Â
Want to know more? Click here.
And, if you made it to the bottom of this post, you’re invited to hop on over to our round up host this week, hosted by Mary Lee at A(nother) Year of Reading.
Patricia Franz writes picture books and poetry. She believes children, dogs, and sourdough have a lot to teach us about life, joy, and wonder. She has raised two boys, four dogs, and holds a master’s degree in Theology with a focus on children’s spirituality. Patricia, her husband, her Bernese Mountain dog, Bonny, and her sourdough starter split their time between the Arizona desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I’ve never heard of the through-line/heart-line! That’s a big takeaway. Thanks to you both for sharing all these fascinating tidbits.
So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
How cool is this?! Would be a fun book to read. Learning about stones and science. I love that your husband is a geologist! That’s so awesome! My kids and I love rocks so much. In fact my 6 year old on the spectrum brings me every rock he finds as a token of his love for mama. This book is on my to read list for sure.
I really love this book! It was part of our Sibert Smackdown at school. Thank you for sharing this interview!
Oh, how wonderful! Thank you Marcie!
Such a gorgeous book and a fascinating interview. Thank you! (And since Kat was brave enough to say it, I will, too — I’d never heard of “through-line and heart line.” I’ll remember that to share with my students!)
Patricia is brilliant, isn’t she? Thank you for your kind words Mary Lee.
Interviews such as this one, inspire. A STONE IS A STORY will be one of those picture books that stay in readers’ hearts and forever inspire writers.
Patricia, I’m so glad I read this review of A Stone is a Story. Since I’ve moved to Joshua Tree, I’m falling in love with the geology of this area. I have constant questions. The rocks are amazing! Your questions for Leslie are rich and so thoughtful. I think she had fun answering them! Lovely post.
Thanks for reading Denise! 🙂
Joyce, thank you, thank you. This means so much to me.
Wonderful interview, Patricia. This is indeed a wonderful book. And I’m jumping in to add that I also never heard through-line/heart-line expressed quite that way. Thank you.
Thank you, Rose!
Oh. My. Goodness. That was fascinating, and I loved learning as I read that you and Leslie have a personal/professional connection! Beautiful book (on a favorite topic of mine), beautiful interview. Tell us again about YOUR book–somehow I’d missed this news!
Thank you Heidi!
Thanks so much for this post — loved hearing the backstory from Leslie about this book, and Marc’s art is gorgeous!! Looking forward to reading this in person. 🙂
Thank you!!
This is such a beautiful book! And rocks are near and dear to my heart. I loved hearing about the different formats, the mentor texts, and more. Interviewing a rock is a pretty funny idea! But where this topic landed is just stunning.
Thank you so much Laura. Your beautiful books are mentor texts I turn to often. I especially loved your recent Zap! Clap! Boom!
Wow! What a fabulous interview! You left me with a lot to chew over. The book both looks and sounds stunning. Thanks so much for sharing it today.
Thank you!
Gorgeous book in every way, and a delightful interview, too, Patricia! Thanks.
Thank you so much Karen!
This sounds like a wonderful book! Thanks for giving us a glimpse of the book itself, and the creative process of bringing it to life.
Thank you Elisabeth!
Great interview and this book sounds unique and beautiful. Rocks really are so old and fascinating. I hope you get your book out there soon!
Thank you Janice!
Thanks for highlighting this book, Patricia. It sounds like a good one for my first-grade friends. I’ll have to check our library.
Thank you Susan!
This is a fantastic interview, Patricia and Leslie! Spot on analysis, Patricia, and I enjoyed hearing about the addition of that last line, Leslie, and how it takes the leap into what the child and stone will become. Brilliant! I, too, love this book and have it on my shelves. Also, thanks for the shout out to A RIVER OF DUST, Patricia!
Thank you, Jilanne! I love A RIVER OF DUST and am always pleased to hear our books mentioned together. Someday I hope to meet you in person and get you to sign my copy. 🙂
Patricia, kudos to you for such a fabulous and thorough review of this amazing book by Leslie Barnard Booth. The word choice, lyrical quality, and watercolor artwork all add to blending science with language arts in a way that would intrigue early elementary children.
This is a wonderful interview, Patricia! Thank you for sharing about the book and so very much about the process from Leslie! I’ve collected rocks for years, and have a special fondness for igneous rocks, adoring the speckles. I’m sure this will inspire so many children who already collect, but don’t know the “story”.
Patricia: I do love everything about this book. And it reminds me of so many memories/books. My boys growing up and exploring rocks. Never enough time to explore them. And a book I read, I think by John McPhee, in which one geologist could tell which side of a mountain the stone had come from. Amazing. Thank you for this review. I hope I run into this book.
Patricia, I appreciate your thoughtful questions that lead to such a great interview. I know a geologist and a teacher who recently married…I think this will be a great gift to their first born child (no pressure-lol–on them). But, I could keep this in my gift closet for just the right day!