Book Review: A Stone Sat Still (2019)

A slow, beautiful experience that inspires play and engagement.

Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Gentle, yet immense illustrations underline the same characteristics in the words of Brendan Wenzel’s 2019 picture book A Stone Sat Still. The story feels reminiscent of Marianna Coppo’s Petra (2018) in which we see the same stone from many perspectives. Each time the perspective shifts, it is because the stone’s meaning is determined by its relationship with another (a snail, a bird, the ocean, a beetle). In this way, A Stone Sat Still, reinforces the important message that we are who we are through our relationships while simultaneously teaching us the importance of observation and keeping an open mind — things aren’t always what they seem. This book, which follows Wenzel’s Caldecott-winning They All Saw A Cat (2016), is a slow, beautiful experience that inspires play and engagement during story time.