The rock from the sky by Jon Klassen

If the title isn’t clear enough, the first image you see when opening the book is a rock falling from the sky. Prediction skills are on high alert when the next illustration is turtle standing alone and unprotected in an open space - with lots of visual emphasis and space given to the sky.

Turtle states,
“I like standing in this spot. It is my favourite spot to stand. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”

When you read this story aloud to children they immediately guess what is being foreshadowed, and are squealing and laughing at Jon Klassen’s deadpan style of humour. Of course, adults enjoy this story for exactly the same reasons.

Turtle does escape his deadly fate with the help of Armadillo, who with the reader, just senses something bad is going to happen.

Like all good comedy there is perfect timing and the wonderful anticipation about what is going to happen next.

Snake joins Turtle and Armadillo and gets involved in the crazy and at time surreal situations, such as Turtle denying he has fallen on his back due to falling off the rock, while he is on his back because of falling off the rock, a shared imaginary future between Turtle and Armadillo and the perfect funny ending that combines all the crazy antics - which I will not divulge, so there are no spoilers.

The story is divided in to 5 chapters and different coloured text makes it is easy to understand which character is speaking.

I highly recommend this book, in fact I insist everyone read the story to ensure they have at least one wonderful moment in their day.

Recommended for primary school students and everyone else!

Jane Moore