Today's read... My Very Rocky Christmas by Jackson Murphy

Today's read came out the beginning of this month and caught my attention right away. Firstly, I don't remember ever seeing a Christmas story surrounding trees and rocks. Second, some of the proceeds go to 'Plant a Billion Trees'. And after reading this...well, let's just say that I wasn't disappointed.

MY VERY ROCKY CHRISTMAS

A Rocky the Rock Quarry

by Jackson Murphy

Illustrated by Rebecca Rem

Picture Book

34 pages

ages 3 to 8

While on an annual December outing with his father to a local tree farm to cut down the family Christmas tree, a young boy encounters an unusual resident who changes his life forever. “My Very Rocky Christmas” is the heartwarming, “based-on-a-true story” memoir of a very unlikely friendship. Destined to become a new yuletide tradition, adults will want to share this amazing adventure — and the important lessons it teaches — with the young ones in their lives each and every holiday season.

Author Jackson Murphy was 6 years old when he first met Rocky (who was over a million years old at the time). Their relationship got off to a bit of a rough start (as you’ll find out), but today it’s as solid as a…well, you know.

"My Very Rocky Christmas" also includes fascinating and educational information on all the varieties and traditions of Christmas trees grown around the world, along with some fun holiday trivia.

BUY THIS BOOK HELP PLANT A TREE! Partial proceeds from every book sold go to The Nature Conservancy’s ‘Plant a Billion Trees’ Campaign.

GOODREADS  /   TBM BOOKS  

MY TIDBITS

Based on a real experience from the author, this Christmas tale takes a very original direction, which ends with warm feelings and unique inspiration.

Every year, a boy and his father head to a tree farm to find their Christmas tree, something the boy enjoys. One year, after cutting down their perfect tree, the boy discovers a rock by the now cut truck. Concerned that the rock will no longer be happy to be lying in the open, the boy finds a new spot, which should work well. The next years, he visits the rock to make sure it's still fine...until one year, the tree it was under is gone right along with the stone. Finding the stone a few yards away buried in the snow by itself, the boy comes up with a new plan to make sure the rock is always protected.

This is a sweet, Christmas story, which is very easy for kids to relate to (and for adults to remember when they might have done similar things themselves). It's told with a gentle flow, starting with the wonderful atmosphere of finding a perfect tree with a parent, before meeting the stone. The entire thing is done in first person from the child's perspective and with a natural feel. It does make a great read-aloud for quieter moments to settle listeners down and simply enjoy a story.

The illustrations are well done and bring atmosphere to the experiences and happenings. The snowy landscapes and Christmas details invite to the season. These are placed, here and there, around the text at the right moments. The pages are full-sized (A4) with the text in a slightly larger font and always on white, which also makes reading much easier.

I can see kids wanting to meet their own rock friends after this and developing a new hobby for awhile. Plus, there are two sections at the end of the book, which give more insight on the various types of Christmas trees as well as a bunch of Christmas tree facts. 

As a super bonus, this book was created with the intention of giving some of the proceeds to The Nature Conservancy's 'Plant a Billion Trees' campaign. 

You can learn more about Jackson Murphy and his wonderful endeavors...

https://lights-camera-jackson.com/