BOOK REVIEW: Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

Stephanie O'Connell | 6 May 2017 | Reply

BOOK REVIEW: Charlotte and the Rock by Stephen W. Martin, illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

Random House Australia
April 2017
Hardcover, $19.99
Reviewed by Stephanie O’Connell

Picture Book

8/10

The pet you want isn’t always the pet you get.

When Charlotte asked her parents for a pet, a rock wasn’t exactly what she had in mind.

It wasn’t quite what Charlotte had in mind, but she tried to remain positive.
The rock, after all, was a good listener.
It was also quiet and easy to train.
And it was hypoallergenic, which was good for Grandma Glennis, who was allergic to almost everything.

Let’s face it, there are some things a rock just can’t do….

The rock’s lack of appetite was annoying.
And it was not much help getting her out of trouble at school.
“You said WHAT ate your homework?” asked Charlotte’s teacher.

But she loves her new pet anyway.

If only he could love Charlotte back . . .

Charlotte and the Rock is a cute and funny story, paired with an understated and timeless style of illustration, but if you take a moment to look a little closer, you will see quite how on point the illustrations are, and will notice a few little jokes that are bound to appeal to the adults reading this to kids.

The surprise ending is bound to leave all readers smiling, be they in the target age group or not, and there is a nice symmetry here, with the repetition of lines but something of a reversal between the beginning and the end.