Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This grounding story from Crimi (Secondhand Dogs) and Knight-Justice (Big Boy Joy) features a keenly perceptive child whose special interest helps him navigate a house move. Crisp text introduces Jayden as "a noticer"--"He noticed web wheels and egg freckles. Tree knuckles and frog songs. Mouse paws and rose petals." The protagonist also finds comfort in a rock collection that variously includes a "thinking rock," a "fort-building rock," and a jar of "wishing rocks" that represent prior, presumably successful, hopes, including for friendship. Jayden isn't ready for his family's move to a new home, but upon arrival, his mood lifts with the discovery of another wishing rock (small and brown with a "river of sparkle" running through it). And he soon puts it to use when encountering a possible playmate, a kindred spirit whose presence encourages Jayden to embrace the new residence with optimism. Musical scores, newsprint, and more peek through mottled color in airbrush-textured digital renderings. Sensitive storytelling empathically captures Jayden's experiences, yielding a supportive story about finding rock-solid stability amid life change. Characters are portrayed with varying brown skin tones. Ages 3--7. Author's agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator's agent: Christy Ewers, CAT Agency. (Feb.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
"Jayden was a noticer...He noticed web wheels and egg freckles. Tree knuckles and frog songs...But mostly he noticed rocks." As much as the young Black boy enjoys discovering things (such as how the moon "looked different every night as it peeked through the branches of his favorite oak tree"), he also enjoys routine and order, carefully assigning meaning to each rock he adds to his collection (a "fort-building rock," "wishing rocks") and meticulously organizing them as he reluctantly prepares for his family's impending move. Once in his new neighborhood, all Jayden notices are its differences from the old one: "His new house was a weird color. The mailbox was in the wrong place. The trees were too short." Even the rocks have lost their allure. Knight-Justice gives Jayden earnestly creased brows and a slight smile to match his observant, reserved disposition and incorporates construction-paper patterns and snippets of text in the collaged, mixed-media art (readers will find plenty of details in the rocks, trees, and sidewalks Jayden encounters). Crimi gently guides Jayden through his unfamiliar environment, providing him reassurance in the form of special new wishing rocks, a kindred noticer neighbor with a bias toward bugs, and a brand-new view of the moon through his bedroom window. It's encouragement for all noticers to be comfortable in their curious minds while learning to embrace the unknown. Emma ShacochisJanuary/February 2026 p.57 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A young boy notices everything--including the opportunity to make a new friend. Observant and gentle, Jayden is unhappy about his family's upcoming move. He'll miss his favorite oak tree, and he's worried about making friends. Luckily, he can pack his jar of special rocks. In Crimi's delightful characterization, Jayden isn't so much a budding geologist as a blooming one, and his jar is nearly filled with "a homework rock, a thinking rock, a fort-building rock. But his favorites [are] his wishing rocks," representing past wishes he's made for "snow days, perfect pumpkins, and chocolate cake for dessert." As Jayden frets about the move, his worries outmatch his wishes…until they don't. While walking in his new neighborhood, he notices "a small brown rock with a river of sparkle running down its middle." Knight-Justice's accompanying softly contoured illustration beautifully depicts the wonder of this new rock. Jayden holds it and makes a wish, powerfully unstated in the text, but represented by a ribbon of calm blueness emanating forth in a hopeful upward trajectory. Readers will connect the dots when Jayden encounters another child, "a noticer like him." The two hit it off, and as it turns out, Alex likes bugs as much as Jayden likes rocks. Jayden presents Black; Alex is tan-skinned. You're on notice: This picture book is a gem!(Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
