Richard Ho is the author of the new children's picture book A Rock Is Born. His other books include Red Rover.
Q: What inspired you to write A Rock Is Born?
A: This story actually started with an idea from my editor at Roaring Brook, Emily Feinberg. She was on vacation, hiking through what I believe was a national park, when she mused that the rocks crunching beneath her feet were actually witnesses to millions of years of change throughout Earth's long history.
And just as the landscape has shifted over time, the rocks themselves have undergone countless transformations to arrive at the form they have today. She thought, "There's a book here!" and then immediately thought, "Who will write it?" She reached out to me, and thus our latest collaboration was born.
Q: What do you think Lily Williams’ illustrations add to the book?
A: I've been a fan of Lily Williams for years. Her art is so vibrant and expressive, while also being meticulously dedicated to the scientific facts and concepts she brings to life.
Her If Animals Disappeared series is so brilliant - she's truly mastered the art of nonfiction picture book storytelling that teaches kids about the natural world, and the urgent need to protect it. She was the ideal creative partner for this story!
And I got just a glimpse of her intensive research process, and the hours she devoted to ensuring that every detail about the rocks and their transformations was as accurate as possible.
Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I consulted as many reliable scientific sources as I could, including textbooks, USGS resources, and of course a trained geologist.
As for surprises? I had a sense of how long the timescales were for the rock cycle, but it was still eye-opening to see actual numbers assigned to the various stages.
When we were figuring out the time labels for each section ("130 million years ago," "90 million years ago," etc.), I often had to stop and just ponder how far back we were going. It definitely puts things into perspective: in comparison, the process of making this book (six years from idea to shelves) was like a blink of an eye!
Q: Publishers Weekly said of the book, “A long-form reminder that even the most ordinary objects can contain extraordinary histories.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love it! That was one of the most compelling aspects of Emily's idea: that this tiny little rock that we take for granted is actually older than anything else in our surroundings. It's seen the rise and fall of dinosaurs, the passage of ice ages, and who knows what else. Extraordinary history, indeed.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm working with my publishers to put the final touches on several books that will be releasing over the next two years. Next year will be especially busy, with four picture books and a middle grade collection of short biographies on the way!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: This past school year, one of our sons randomly started to bring home interesting rocks that he would find on the playground at school. Needless to say, showing him the first finished copy of A Rock is Born was a highlight of this whole process!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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