Hidden Gem

While there are many recent children's books that celebrate identity, make room for this one, which blends subtle humor and superb design for a profound, deftly conveyed message.

In this straightforward diamond-in-the-rough story, newcomer Liu explores the fascinating forms of rocks via digital and watercolor spreads that foreground the objects' variegated colors and textures. On an opening page, the narrating rock--small, gray, and smooth, with a lighter-colored vein running through it--introduces itself: "I rock/ and roll// and tumble." A piece of paper blows toward it, an invitation to a "World's Most Beautiful Gem" exhibition at a museum, which common rocks visit to see distinctive gems up on plinths. Instead of rocking and rolling, though, the entities on display "shock/ and glow// and humble." How might the narrator, an average rock, become as notable as those on display? Should it sculpt itself into a different form, or paint itself a different color? (Liu renders the rock as part of several well-known works of art in the background.) Instead, the museum's star exhibit gives the rock a luminous, shimmering vision of itself as exceptional after all. Alongside message-forward text, it's the glowing colors of Liu's distinctive visual style that carry the overarching message of self-wonder and innate worth. Ages 4-8. Agent: Thao Le, Dijkstra Agency. (July)

Liu's art matches the quirky tone of the book, using predominantly geometrical shapes with beautifully textured watercolor patterns . . . the reminder to love yourself as you are is still sweet and worthy of sharing. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books