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    The Children's Book Review

    Charlotte and the Rock, by Stephen W. Martin | Book Review

    Denise MealyBy Denise Mealy3 Mins Read Ages 0-3 Ages 4-8 Best Kids Stories Books with Girl Characters Humor Picture Books
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    The Children’s Book Review | January 25, 2018

    Charlotte and the RockCharlotte and the Rock

    Written by Stephen W. Martin

    Illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

    Age Range: 3 and up

    Hardback: 32 pages

    Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers

    ISBN: 978-1101993897

    What to expect: Pets

    Charlotte wants, more than anything, to have a pet. Any pet will do. A dog, a cat, even a pig! But when her parents give her an unexpected pet, Charlotte can’t help but feel a little…bewildered.

    Her new pet is a rock. A large, round, plain rock. Nevertheless, Charlotte is a girl of perseverance. She takes the rock on rather difficult walks up and down hills, plays games with it, and learns that the rock is an especially good listener. Eventually she comes to love the rock, and wishes that it could somehow learn to love her too. That’s when the rock hatches, and out pops a giant dinosaur! At last, Charlotte has a living, breathing pet who can love her back! And a dinosaur wasn’t what her parents had in mind for a pet for their little girl, but they make do. Eventually the pet dinosaur becomes one of the family.

    This is a sweet story about making the best of things, and how sometimes those things turn out far better than you ever imagined! Charlotte didn’t mope or pout about getting a somewhat disappointing present, she made the best of it. And then, in a darkly humorous way, her little heart was rewarded with the biggest pet any child could ever ask for!

    The illustrations in this book set it apart from the pack. The soft water-color effect and attention to detail give the images a realistic but dreamy quality. I especially loved the opening illustration of Charlotte looking through a shop window. There are so many layers of details from foreground to background– it’s visually stunning. The story is sweet and funny with a dark little twist (sorry Mom and Dad, the joke’s on you!) that children and parents will get a kick out of. After all, who wouldn’t want a dinosaur for a pet?

    Available Here: 

    Text, logoBuy on AmazonLogo

    About The Author

    Stephen W. Martin is a writer and director, with several award-winning short films to his credit. He is the author of Robot Smash and is also the coauthor of Pop Manga with renowned manga artist and comics creator Camilla D’Errico.

    About The Illustrator

    Samantha Cotterill is an illustrator and textile designer. She works and resides with her family in Upstate New York.

    Charlotte and the Rock, written by Stephen W. Martin and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill, was reviewed by Denise Mealy. Discover more books like Charlotte and the Rock by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Dinosaurs, Pets, and Picture Book.

    What to Read Next:

    1. Naughty Kitty!, by Adam Stower | Book Review
    2. A Cookiesaurus Rex Discussion with Amy Fellner Dominy, Nate Evans, and AG Ford
    3. The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes | Book Review
    4. Tiny T. Rex and the Very Dark Dark, by Jonathon Stutzman | Book Review

    *Disclosure: Please note that this post may contain affiliate links that share some commission. Rest assured that these will not affect the cost of any products and services promoted here. Our team always provides their authentic opinion in all content published on this site.

    Dial Books for Young Readers Dinosaurs Pets Picture Book Samantha Cotterill Stephen W. Martin
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    Denise Mealy
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    Denise Mealy is a former web content provider who stays at home to change diapers and write books. Her days are filled with Word documents, books and sloppy kisses (from dogs and baby alike). She likes to read, cook, dance, travel and forward pictures of spam sculptures to friends. If she could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, it would be a toss up between J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen. They would probably eat pasta. Yes, definitely pasta. For more information, visit: www.dccmealy.com You can also find her on Twitter: @dccmealy

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