Can a Rock Grow? – Digging into the Rock Cycle

11 September 2026

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in geology, kids activities, my books, nature exploration, STEAM/STEM

My fifth picture book is now available!

This new book, Can a Rock Grow?, is a fun way to learn about the rock cycle. It encourages kids to think about how rocks change, and explore some of the unique shapes that rocks have. It’s a nonfiction picture book for kids from 4 to 8 years old.

Where did this book begin?

In some ways, the idea for this book started back when I was working on Can a Tree Be Blue? a couple years ago.

Can a Tree Be Blue? focuses on different colors that trees can be. Colors can be a fun preschool/kindergarten topic–along with shapes.

And rocks can be all kinds of different shapes!

So many things in nature have unique shapes and patterns. Flowers, trees, the patterns animals use for camouflage come in so many different shapes.

We don’t always notice the shapes in geology, but they can be fascinating once we start looking.

And rocks have other fascinating qualities as well . . .

Growing up, one of my neighbors was a rockhound. He shared his love of rocks with my family, and I started hearing about things like obsidian and thunder eggs. Through those rocks, I’ve kept a small sliver of interest in rocks for all these years.

Some of those rocks made it into this book.

Can a Rock Grow? is a book about the rock cycle, and it shows different ways that rocks can change over time. It’s also a book about shapes, exploring different shapes that rocks can be—flat rocks, round rocks, sharp rocks, and even hexagon-shaped rocks.

It’s a fun, inviting picture book for those who already love rocks, as well as those who are just beginning to explore these mineral marvels.

With its focus on shapes, science, and nature exploration, Can a Rock Grow? is perfect for kids who love exploring nature and have big questions about how the world works, like . . .