A Stone Sat Still

by Brendan Wenzel

The follow-up to They All Saw a Cat.

A Stone Sat Still tells the story of a seemingly ordinary rock—but to the animals that use it, it is a resting place, a kitchen, a safe haven... even an entire world.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Animals, Environment, Fiction, Storytime

50 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2019

About the author

Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator based in upstate New York. His debut picture book, They All Saw a Cat, was a New York Times bestseller and the recipient of a 2017 Caldecott Honor. An ardent conservationist, he is a proud collaborator with many organizations working to ensure the future of wild places and threatened species.

Reviews

[Heidi (reading to avoid current events) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This small ode to a rock was a sheer delight and a reminder that even the most ubiquitous thing can influence the world around it while the world changes around it. Beautiful. 💖

Definitely a book to add to the grandchild’s book shelf soon.

(Reviewed 5/4/25)

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brendan is quickly becoming a new favorite author for me. He won the Caldecott with a cat book a few years ago and I recently read his last book that I loved too. Here we are again. He is another Weisner or William Joyce or Jan Brett. He has something.

What I enjoy about Brendan is he plays with perspective. He loves to take an object like a rock and show it from the perspective of an ant, a moose, a bird and under water. It looks different to all of them. How eye opening is that? I simply love it. The rock doesn’t change, but under different light, say moon light, clouds, bright sun, under water, it looks completely different, different colors, when it hasn’t changed.

Perception is everything and everyone sees things differently is a good lesson from this. The art is beautiful and it is a great book to expand your world and understanding of how to be in it. I love his stuff and I will be reading more in the future when he publishes.

The nephew thought this beginning book was good. He liked the animals and the snail making trails on the rock. He did say it was sort of boring as not much happens, but he liked it anyway. He gave this 3 stars. Still, a monster or robot wouldn’t hurt anything, or even a witch dancing to Michael Jackson.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I simply loved this book because it has the potential for different perspectives of how and when we read it. It will be different for the children. They will enjoy the illustrations and the various animals and flora depicted in relation to the stone. And as for adults, I feel this book describes a home to me, a home in my own being. We as adults face different people of all kinds and get caught up in certain unavoidable life circumstances. I read this one hoping that I would enjoy the illustrations and wanted to catch up with my childhood days. But I reaped more than what I had intended for.
I felt this book was really short. And so incomplete. I feel like a later half is coming up. But it just ended like I was enjoying all the party music but waiting for the slow dance moment which never came.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This title greatly appealed to me and I was expecting a meditative experience and it did sort of provide it for me. I do like how it shows perspective via how all sorts of creatures view and use the same stone in different ways. The stone remains stable, a constant, in an always changing and diverse world. I appreciated the concept. And the illustrations and gorgeous and huge and striking.

I think I enjoyed the author/illustrator’s They All Saw A Cat book more than this one. It’s very similar in what it presents. I didn’t really like the interactive line near the end “Have you ever known such a place?” though some children/other readers might appreciate it. I did like most of the rest of the spare text.

3-1/2 stars

[Robert Khorsand · Rating 4 out of 5]

پیش‌تر گفته‌ام، مجددا تکرار می‌کنم و در آینده نیز خواهم گفت که من از خواندن کتاب‌های خوبِ کودک به خصوص وقتی که دارای نقاشی باشند لذت می‌برم و ضمنا برخی کتاب‌ها آنقدر حالم را خوب و کیفم را کوک می‌کنند که از توصیف آن عاجز می‌مانم.
این کتاب یکی از آن کتاب‌ها بود، نقاشی‌هایش، فضایش و سادگی قلم نویسنده‌اش را دوست داشتم و خواندن آن‌را به دوستانی که مثل خودم در میان مطالعه‌ی کتاب‌های روزمره‌ی خود نیاز به استراحت و صدالبته ارضای کودک درون خود دارند پیشنهاد می‌کنم.

دانلود نامه
فایل ای‌پاب کتاب را در کانال تلگرام آپلود نموده‌ام، در صورت نیاز می‌توانید آن‌را از لینک زیر دانلود و مطالعه فرمایید:
https://t.me/reviewsbysoheil/368

بیست و پنجم مهرماه یک‌هزار و چهارصد

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about a stone, seen through many different perspectives, most ordinary and yet, also extraordinary. What will you see?

[donna backshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful sentiment. I never thought I could love a stone but now I think I just might.

I have a son who is on the spectrum, and this is exactly the kind of quiet book that would speak volumes to him. He would take the time to absorb the possibilities offered on each page, and wonder at the usefulness for such a simple thing as a stone. He is always looking to find unique meaning in someone's or something's "specialness", hoping that he can see a glimpse of his own potential and worth there as well.

However, I don't think A Stone Sat Still is for all children, especially not younger ones who do not yet have the patience for such a contemplative book. This is one you read slowly and savor, and feel thankful that, as an adult, there is still such brilliance and wisdom to be discovered in a child's library book.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Described on the dust-jacket flap as a companion to author/illustrator Brendan Wenzel's Caldecott Honor-winning They All Saw A Cat , this new picture-book also explores perspective. Centering around the eponymous stone, the narrative here explores the stone's existence - the many uses it serves to various creatures in the wild, and the various positions it holds, depending upon the size and outlook of the being examining it. In the end, the stone sits and endures, while everything around it changes...

The third picture-book that Wenzel has both written and illustrated, and the eighth he has worked on overall, A Stone Sat Still pairs a simple but thought-provoking text that emphasizes the stone's many roles in the world it inhabits with gorgeous multi-media artwork. I don't know that this one struck me quite as strongly as They All Saw A Cat , but there was something about it - perhaps a feeling of quietude, similar to what one feels when sitting still, out in the natural world? - that makes it very appealing. Recommended to fellow fans of Brendan Wenzel, and to anyone looking for lovely new picture-books about perspective and/or nature.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little story about various animals hanging out on a stone. It offers each of them something different, but always stays a constant in the world. Nice one.

Wenzel’s poem focuses on how point of view affects experience. This time, his subject is a humble stone:

A stone sat still
with the water, grass, and dirt,
and it was as it was
where it was in the world.

In each spread or vignette, a different wild creature encounters the round rock. […]

Have you ever seen such a place? Wenzel asks. Look closely, his words say: even the most seemingly insignificant bits of Earth offer splendor. The wonderful mixed-media creatures and their encounters entertain, while bigger ideas suggest all kinds of conversations about perception and perspective, wildlife and habitat, local and global change, and eternity and evanescence.

Ages 3–5.


I am partial to the otters and the cat, although the whole book makes me happy.





Author‘s website: https://www.brendanwenzel.info/

[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Stone Sat Still by Brendan Wenzel is my favorite picture book of the year. I have been waiting so long for the release of this book! It is described as a companion to his remarkable Caldecott award winning, They All Saw A Cat. It was definitely worth the wait! Every illustration is a wonder that needs to be enjoyed and studied. It is a quiet, contemplative, timely, beautiful book. So hard to believe this is only Brendan Wenzel's eighth book. I consider him a picture book great. His work is as wonderful as masters such as Lane Smith, Kevin Henkes, Jerry Pinkney, Sophie Blackall and Eric Carle. A Stone Sat Still is absolutely Caldecott worthy. It deserves the Caldecott gold. It is just that good. I can't wait to see what Brendan Wenzel creates next! Btw, if you are in the NY area-check out Brendan Wenzel's illustrations/murals etc. at The Children's Zoo (Bronx Zoo). They are phenomenal!

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This starts off with the sort of satisfying zen perspective that generally appeals more to adults than to children.

A stone sat still
with the water, grass, and dirt
and it was as it was
where it was in the world.

So, okay, that's soothing, and some kids may like it. The phrase is repeated throughout the book, which generally appeals to kids, but they may not quite understand what it means.

Then the story moves into that sort of relativity that adults think is meaningful but most kids don't care about as much: the stone is big or small or smooth or rough or useful in various ways depending on which creature is perceiving it. This was Wenzel's original path to fame with They All Saw a Cat, so it's not such a surprise to see it again. Most of the differences will need to be explained (will kids even recognize some of these creatures, like the red spider mite?)

Then it ends on an odd note. I wouldn't know how to explain this because I don't know what's going on.

And the stone was a blink
and the stone was an age.

And the stone was an island
and the stone was a wave

Here we get a two page spread of the ocean - what is this telling us? I don't know. Is this what happens after the polar ice caps melt? That's kind of dark for a kids book. How can a stone be a wave, anyway?

and the stone was a memory
and the stone was always.

Now we see an owl flying over the ocean. Is this far in the future? Has this book morphed into a post-apocalyptic story? is the stone remembered by the owls? No idea.

Have you ever known such a place?

And how do we answer that? Do we talk about stones? Memories? Oceans?

I find the very best children's books make sense to children, they can relate to what is going on, and don't need anything explained. The words and the pictures should do all the explaining. This book doesn't do that.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was a kid, there was a big stone that sat at the end of our driveway. On long summer afternoons, after I had grown tired of my Fisher-Price house and farm, I used to love to flip over this stone, and watch the frenzied activity that occurred in the busy ant city that was hidden under that large rock. I assume that stone is still there. Why would anyone move it?

Though I suppose they are the bane of a farmer's existence, I've always appreciated stones. They are calming, and reassuring in their steadiness: there's something eternal about them.

Wenzel's book beautifully celebrates the simple stone. His artwork is magnificent.





I love this book!

[Mohanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

از کتاب نقل قول می‌کنم:

"سنگ سبز بود، قرمز بود، بنفش بود و آبی بود. سنگریزه بود و تپه بود. و سنگ یک احساس بود و سنگ یک بو بود. سنگ نشان راه بود. هزارتو بود. نقشه بود و پناهگاه بود.

سنگ یک چشم به هم‌زدن بود و یک دوران بود. جزیره بود و موج بود. خاطره بود و همیشه بود. آیا تو هم چنین جایی را می‌شناسی؟ جایی در گوشه‌ای از دنیا که سنگی نشسته باشد ساکت و آرام؟"

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moly.

[Mahdiye HajiHosseini · Rating 5 out of 5]

ترجمه کتاب رو خوندم. من این کتاب رو خیلی خیلی دوست داشتم. عمیقا لمسم کرد و حس غم زیبایی که در انتها برام گذاشت، چیزیه که خیلی برام ارزشمنده.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many other readers, I adored They All Saw a Cat and Hello Hello, this author/illustrator's previous two picture books. His latest offering only serves to add to my admiration for him and his work. As he has done in the previous two books, he explores perspective, this time focusing on a stone. It's clear that this rock has been around for a long time, and various animals use it as a landing place, a spot on which to eat or perch or crack a shell to reveal a meal. For some of it, it's quite large, but for others, they are almost overwhelmed by its enormity. Again, it all depends on their perspective and size. But as this meditation moves to its conclusion, it seems to shift slightly so that readers are invited to think about what a stone like this or a place like this might mean to them, perhaps a place of shared joy with family members or a spot for solitary contemplation. For me, it's hard not to consider the strong environmental message present in the text and illustrations and consider what will be left after we are all gone--perhaps only that stone and others like it. As its creator clearly intended, I was left contemplating nature's beauty and pondering the effects of humans on the environment and wondering just how much time we have left to repair the wounds we've inflicted on Mother Earth. Created with cut paper, colored pencil, oil pastels, marker, and the computer, the illustrations warrant closer examination, and the text will surely invite discussion. This is a gentle yet insistent picture book that makes readers think. I loved it, and it stands up to repeated readings.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read They All Saw a Cat earlier this year. I have to say, that one was just okay for me. I think I enjoyed A Stone Sat Still a lot more.

Both books are about different perspectives, but they approach the topic in slightly different ways. They All Saw a Cat shows how various creatures see the cat that's prowling through the scenes. A Stone Sat Still is more about how the stone--a steady constant--influences the lives of the various creatures that encounter it.

The pictures are interesting, though not quite as fascinating as in They All Saw a Cat. The tone gets a little heavy toward the end, too, with the environmental message. But I still think it's a worthwhile book to read, as it shows how one thing can be perceived and used in so many different ways.

Quotable moment:

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brendan Wenzel just keeps getting knocking it out of the park. For me, this latest endeavor was very nearly picture-book-perfection: whimsical, rhythmic, beautiful, and brimming with big ideas and new perspectives.

[Essareh · Rating 4 out of 5]

سنگی نشسته بود ساکت و آرام
ترجمهٔ رضی هیرمندی
نشر پرتقال

خیلی شبیه به «همه گربه را دیدند» بود؛ یک چیز که از دید جانورهای مختلف، متفاوته.
تصویرگری همه گربه را دیدند بامزه‌تر بود.

ممنون که خوندید.💙

۲۰ مرداد ۰۴
تخت

[Roya · Rating 3 out of 5]

خیلی ساده و جالب بود.
اینکه یه چیز کوچیک می‌تونه برای هر آدمی یه مفهوم متفاوت داشته باشه و همین باعث میشه که ارزش متفاوتی برای هرکس داشته باشه و در هر فرد احساس متفاوتی رو القا کنه.
یادآوری میکنه که قرار نیست همگی با یک دید به یک موضوع واحد نگاه کنن.

[Abby Johnson]

WOW! With gorgeous, muted, sometimes a little abstract artwork and a gentle, rhythmic, evocative text, this picture book presents a stone. Depending on the time of year or which animals are near, the stone can be different things: a pebble to a moose, a hill to a bug, etc. But the stone is also always itself, sitting where it sits as everything changes all around it. This is a great book to share ideas about perspective and how it changes and also mindfulness and seeing the possibilities in things. Pair with IF I WAS THE SUNSHINE for a philosophical reading session.

[Amy! · Rating 5 out of 5]

So lovely. I loved Wenzel's They All Saw A Cat, and I think this one is as good, if not better. The text is so warm and soothing, and the illustrations are incredible. His use of a variety of mediums works really well to tell this story of a stone and all the different perspectives the creatures that interact with it have. I particularly love the cut paper porcupine.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh I really like this one.

[Mim_farahani · Rating 4 out of 5]

یچیزی شبیه "گربه را دیدند" از همین نویسنده!
درباره تفاوت نگاه‌ها به یک مسئله ثابت.

[SilverNediya · Rating 5 out of 5]

آخ آخ آخ
چه هستی‌شناسانه و فلان
!
چه عاطفی و این حرفا
!
دلم لرزید براش

[Tonja Drecker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every page, every moment invites on a beautiful journey which goes nowhere and everywhere.

This is the story of a stone, which sat still. It's a concept which will have kids wondering and maybe even smirking a little before the first page. But it's a book with wonderful depth and leads listeners on a journey into the amazing world of reality...which seems almost like fantasy.

The illustrations are as dreamy as the journey itself and invite to imagination without going anywhere. A rainbow of colors meld and swirl in just the right way to let details come through but with all the vastness of limitless possibilities attached. It's a treat simply to flip through the pages and gaze.

The tale is almost poetic and while leading readers on this journey, still returns to a same, main verse—much like the sitting stone. The passage of time and the wonder of life and nature are illustrated in passing moments. And it demonstrates how changing and amazing even something as 'unimportant' as a stone can be.

This is definitely a read I can recommend and is going onto my list of favorites for 2019. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed it so much that I am leaving my honest thoughts.

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite thing about this book is the illustrations, almost collage like in style they vary in colour and scale which adds almost another dimension to the book. I love the concept as well, the fact something so simple and common can be something completely different to everyone.

A great book that left me with a nice sense of calm after reading it. I will definitely not look at stones as just stones anymore, instead as another world.

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Carumba! Yes, this is about perspective, but the scope of it embraces such vastness as geological time. It's deeply philosophical. I would love to read this to a group of students and spend some time thinking about how we are like the stone as it,
sat where it sat
with the water, grass, and dirt
and it was as it was
where it was in the world.

[Ameryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my kindergarten class. I didn't expect them to love it as much as they did. We read it multiple times (by request). Each time it prompted discussions of memory, and remembering things lost (like pets, or family members).

[Rebecca Crunden]

✾ children’s book review ✾

A stone sat still
with the water, grass, and dirt 
and it was as it was
where it was in the world.

Lovely book about perspectives.

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