The Rock from the Sky

Jon Klassen has enjoyed such phenomenal success that his artistic style and storytelling techniques are well-known in Canadian households. His work has been recognized with several of the world’s major prizes for children’s literature, including Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award, Britain’s Kate Greenaway Medal, and the Caldecott Medal in the United States of America. His new book, The Rock from the Sky, is typically understated. The written text consists entirely of back-and-forth dialogue between two characters—a turtle and its companion. I have seen the companion described in various quarters as a possum, a raccoon, a gopher, and an armadillo. I also watched a video clip of Klassen talking about his latest book, hoping he would set the record straight. He did not. I suspect Klassen wants the creature to be whatever readers decide that it is. This attitude seems consistent with the overall presentation of the book—there is ample room for interplay between Klassen’s work and the reader’s imagination.

In The Rock from the Sky, the turtle has a favourite spot to stand. When the mystery companion arrives, it has a decidedly uneasy feeling. As things eventuate, it was a sense of impending doom. Unbeknownst to the two creatures, a huge rock is about to fall on the turtle’s favourite spot.

Klassen’s illustrations for the book were digitally created and feature watercolour artwork. His spare use of colour on predominantly greenish-grey and brown pictures is visually interesting. The minimalistic artwork matches the understated written storyline in a way that suggests nothing much is going on. Yet, from the outset (even from the very title, itself), readers have inside knowledge that something big is coming and coming fast. As the turtle nonchalantly—albeit somewhat stubbornly—goes about its business, readers are in a position from which they wonder if the turtle will pay heed to—and be saved by—the uneasy feeling of the companion.

The written text dialogue of the turtle appears in black while a grey font is used for the dialogue of the companion animal. A snake also appears as one of the book’s characters. That snake does not have any dialogue but serves important purposes in eliciting feelings of jealousy and abandonment that add extra depth to the story.

Like most Klassen works, this is a book to be revisited several times. Each new reading reveals new layers to the story. The Rock from the Sky is a thought-provoking, enjoyable book that will especially appeal to young children but also will attract an enthusiastic following among older readers.