Where Wonder Grows

When I take the time to really look at a rock and contemplate the journey that brought it to me, I am humbled. I’m reminded that I’m a small part of something bigger, an experience shared by the characters in this gorgeous picture book about rocks, intergenerational relationships, and Indigenous knowledge.

In Where Wonder Grows, Grandma leads her granddaughters to a special garden, and together they explore a collection of rocks. Grandma encourages the girls to look closely at each rock and to think about how it formed and all it has been through. She helps the girls see… show more.

The first thing I loved about this book is that the grandmother isn’t a stereotypical hunched-over lady with a bun and round glasses.

The second is that this Native American grandma’s garden holds a magical treasure, her collection of rocks “alive with wisdom,” rocks that give strength and healing, according to her indigenous teachings. 

Crystals, quartz, and “silver beauties who flew from night’s sky.” González’s lyrical text celebrates these “beings” that come from fire, earth, water, and air. Children might be surprised and delighted to think of rocks as being as much a part of nature as plants and animals.… show more.