Petra

by Marianna Coppo

The humorous adventures of an irresistible little rock who finds herself in constantly changing circumstances, Petra is a picture book that celebrates the power of perspective and believing in yourself.

Petra is a little rock who believes she is a mighty mountain . . . until a dog fetches her for its owner, and she is tossed into a bird's nest. A mountain? No, Petra is now an egg! An egg of the world in a world of possibility. Until she's flung into a pond, and becomes an amazing island . . . and, eventually, a little girl's pet rock. What will she be tomorrow? Who knows? But she's a rock, and this is how she rolls!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Fiction, Humor, Adventure, Juvenile

42 pages, Hardcover

First published May 26, 2016

About the author

Marianna Coppo is an author/illustrator from Italy. She studied editorial illustration at MiMaster in Milan, and now focuses on freelance illustration in Rome. She is one of the curators of Tentacoli, an independent label which specializes in fanzines and handmade products. Petra is her first picture book.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each year my family reads all the Goodreads-award-nominated picture books. This is book #17 (of 20) of 2018, and we liked it a lot. It's a sometimes surprising book about a rock named Petra who keep adjusting her identity to her circumstances: So she gets thrown in a puddle? Hey, no prob, I'm an island, and so on. Sweet art, too.

Lyra (11): 4.5 stars. Cute pictures! I like how it shows that you can be anything using your imagination, but not to forget, too, who you truly are.

Hank (12): 3.5 stars. Nice!

Harry (13): 4 stars. I like the imagination of what a rock could be.

Tara: 4 stars. Nice. Cute art.

Dave: 4.5 stars. I love the quirk here. In some ways like another Goodreads-nominated picture book, Lulu [a bulldog] is a Rhinoceros, Petra adapts her identity to some extent to her situation. Make lemonade from the elements life gave you. Sweet art that make it one of my faves of this year.

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a rock
I am an island*

Petra is a rock . . . or is she something else?

A fun story about a rock that rolls with the changes, and sees the world in the merest pebble. Simple but charming illustrations by the author.





*Paul Simon

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best things about childhood is being able to imagine you are anything you want to be. Petra is a rock who has a wonderful imagination. She also makes the best of whatever situation she is in. The illustrations are wonderful in this story and considering she is a rock, her facial expressions are fantastic. A great little story to read and talk about being whatever you want to be. A nice addition to a school, classroom or family library. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

گوگولی که تو هر شرایطی راضی بودی! ♡⁩.♡⁩
۳.۱۴۰۴

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Petra” is a pebble who thinks she is a mountain. Along the way she thinks she is other things too: an egg and an island. Overall this book teaches children that they can be multiple of things and all be acceptable. I thought Petra was a cute and clever way to show this. It’s a very simple and quick book so small kids should easily be able to follow the story. The color scheme and illustrations are beautiful.

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This is a children’s picture book that talks about ‘rolling with the punches’, and not getting flustered over what life throws at us, but rather just to roll with it. Probably a book that a few adults would find helpful as well.

Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Paperclippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a better person for having read this.

That’s how I roll.

[G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

پترا یه سنگ‌ریزه‌ست و مدت زیادیه که خودش رو به‌عنوان یه سنگ بزرگ و قدرتمند می‌شناسه، اما یه روز یکی از راه می‌رسه و پرتش می‌کنه تو لونهٔ پرنده، و اون تصمیم می‌گیره که به‌جای یه کوه سنگی می‌تونه تخم پرنده باشه. وقتی پرنده اون رو از لونه به چالهٔ آب می‌ندازه، پترا خودش رو یه جزیره تصور می‌کنه، و وقتی یه دختربچه اون رو برمی‌داره و روش نقاشی می‌کشه، پترا فکر می‌کنه که این هم یه جورشه دیگه و من همچنان می‌تونم توی نقش جدیدم شگفت‌انگیز باشم.

پس پیامی که نویسنده می‌خواد برسونه اینه که ممکنه به‌دفعات در شرایطی قرار بگیریم که زندگی از طریق عوامل بیرونی تغییر پیدا ‌کنه و ما کاری از دستمون برنیاد، اما می‌تونیم خودمون رو با اون شرایط تطبیق بدیم و معنای جدیدی برای زندگی بسازیم.

توی مشخصات کتاب نوشته شده که این کتاب مناسب ردهٔ سنی الف (۶-۰) و ب (۹-۶) هست. فکر می‌کنم با توجه به مفهوم داستان و ظرفیتی که برای تبدیل «خوندن یه داستان ساده» به یه «گفت‌وگوی خودشناسانه» داره، مخصوصاً می‌تونه برای گروه سنی ب مفید باشه و مغزشون رو قلقلک بده.

از طریق این داستان می‌تونیم‌ درس و دیدگاه تکمیل‌کننده‌ای به بچه‌ها بدیم. شخصیت اصلی داستان یه سنگه؛ اون فقط می‌تونه شرایط رو قبول کنه و از اون شرایط تحمیل‌شده به‌هرصورتی معنا بسازه و مدام هویتش رو با توجه به تغییرات محیط و رفتار اطرافیانش تغییر بده و سازگار بشه. بقیه هم می‌تونن برای اون هرطور که بخوان تعیین‌تکلیف کنن، چون یه هویت ثابت و توان سرکشی نداره؛ هویت پترا وابسته به واکنش افراد دیگه و محیطیه که درش زندگی می‌کنه.

اینجا می‌تونیم داستان رو بچلونیم، عصاره‌ش رو بیرون بکشیم و سؤالاتی از خواننده (بچهٔ مورد نظر) بپرسیم و شرایطی به وجود بیاریم تا راجع‌به مفهوم هویت و انعطاف‌پذیری سالم فکر کنه، با سؤالاتی مثل:
• تو خودت رو چه‌جوری توصیف می‌کنی؟
• فکر می‌کنی چه چیزهایی می‌تونن روی شرایط زندگی ما تأثیر بذارن؟
• به نظرت ما همیشه باید با شرایط سازگار بشیم و انعطاف‌پذیر باشیم؟
• چه وقت‌هایی باید مقاومت کنیم و نذاریم شرایط زندگی یا برخورد بقیه با ما، ما رو تغییر بده؟

[LW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a Rolling Stone ****

È stato divertente sfogliare queste pagine ,alla scoperta delle mirabili avventure della piccola Petra , con le sue buffe espressioni
Chi la lancia lontano , chi la raccoglie , chi la trasforma... (abbiamo preso spunti...)

Un libro che vi lascerà di sasso 👀 !

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was amazing! I'm not just biased because my friend's D&D character is an Earth Genasi named Petra either.



Highly recommended for toddlers and preschoolers.

[Zuzana Be · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petra is a rock and this is how she rolls.

[Leah Rachel von Essen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute tale about a rock with a big imagination.

[Ana on the Shelves]

Real cool story about imagination and adaptibility but the art is just not appealing.

[Fatemehshahvari · Rating 3 out of 5]

درباره تغییر و انعطاف پذیری بود.
بانمک بود.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a nice children’s book. Petra is a lovely pebble with huge ambition and even bigger resilience.

[معصومه توکلی · Rating 4 out of 5]

حیف از بازی قشنگ زبانی که در اسم «پترا» هست و قابل‌ برگرداندن به فارسی نیست!

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rock can be many things...

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a rock who has a BIG imagination. There's not really much more to it than that. This would be a great book to read to a wiggly toddler who can't sit still for long, or to read with children who enjoy painting rocks.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is amazing how something such simple text and illustrations can be so powerful. Wholesome 100%

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petra is a rock who imagines what she is based on her circumstances. She's a "fearsome, fearless, mighty, magnificent mountain." When Petra is retrieved by a dog and called a pebble she denies this and calls herself an egg when she lands in a nest. She's "not any ordinary egg. (Petra) . . . is an egg of the world, in a world of possibilities." When Petra is tossed out of the nest and lands in a pond, she becomes "an amazing island." This adorable book will encourage children's imaginations to become whatever they want to be based on their circumstances. The pictures, which inspires imagination, are cute and follow the texts.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not typically fond of children's books, only YA (and even then, I almost exclusively read fantasy/sci fi and historical YA), but this one has been showing up in my feed a lot, and it's pretty cute!

Plus, any picture book that quotes John Donne is pretty solid.

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Petra' by Marianna Coppo is a book filled with imagination and a main character that is a rock. In spite of this, the character has appeal.

When we meet Petra, she is a mighty, immovable mountain. Nothing can shake her. Or can it?

Things are not what they seem, and Petra has to learn that life can change things up on you. Petra imagines herself as an egg and an island. With her imagination and good attitude, she really won't be shaken.

Petra is a good lesson for anyone experiencing change. What you thought could be, suddenly isn't, so you adapt. The illustrations are pretty cute too. I liked Petra's facial expressions, and I really loved the amount of imagination that this book had.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Penguin Random House Canada, Tundra Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petra is sassy and has quite the imagination.
This is who your role model should be!

[Dna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book on my desk for a few weeks and kept hesitating on reading it in storytime, but today I did and the kids loved it! They had so many observations about the art work, the story, Petra herself, and were surprised by how the story changed with each page. It was the best!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adorable book, wonderfully illustrated. I had a lot of fun flipping through!

[Aily · Rating 3 out of 5]

lettura molto carina, ha una metafora nascosta ma, a mio parere, il libro poteva essere fatto leggermente meglio. sembra frettoloso, sinceramente..

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, and clever.

[İdil Alter · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Ne olursam olayım, harika bir şey olacağım kesin!”

“Endişelenmeye gerek yok.
Ben bir taşım, bu da benim yuvarlanışım.
Her taş nasıl yuvarlanıyorsa öyle işte...”

[Seirra Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for dramatic readings, short with a strong ending

[Tin Cheung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspires imagination and wonder!