Coady provides spectacular paintings, given texture, weight, and movement by the strokes of his brush. It includes reference to the new National Curriculum and has grammar starters, differentiated success criteria and writing opportunities. The pebble is so seemingly mundane in fact, that before its history is delved in to, it is described simply as ‘round and smooth and brown’. It really has completely changed the way I think of pebbles; “each pebble has come from its own special rock, each was made in its own time and place.

Text mainly sits at the top and although dense, I don't think I'd take anything away from Hooper's writing: she packs a lot into the millions of years that lie on every page. Furthermore the animals which are illustrated throughout the book are typical of the times in history being described on each page; this would add further weight to class discussions and activities. The Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is a UK-wide citizen science initiative that allows you to get hands-on with nature, whatever your age, background or level of ability.We used the description in ‘The Pebble in my Pocket’ of igneous rocks being created to paint a picture in our mind. This is a wonderfully factual account of the journey made by one tiny pebble over 480 million years of earth’s history. This will be my second book covered in Y4 and I am extremely looking forward to using this in English. The text never loses track of the pebble, worn smooth by rain and wind, packed into a new layer of rock forming under the sea, pushed up into mountains as the earth tilts and folds, and carried by glaciers to the field where the girl finds it.

Although densely written, with lots of information to digest, Hooper brilliantly captures the idea that everything on Earth has a story, bringing life to such an everyday object. It would also be very useful for children that are interested in geology and the history of the earth. As the scout bees traverse the fields, readers are provided with a potpourri of facts and statements about bees.

There is a very useful timeline at the back of the book, too, which can help the reader to appreciate when the different events have occurred in relation to one another. It's a wordy book - several times more words than an average picture book, but the story and pictures are engaging and held my son's interest really well.

Hooper and Coady pass on a sense of wonder for the history contained in one small pebble in an outstanding picture-book overview of 480 million years.

For example, monofloral honey is defined as “made by bees who visit just one kind of flower” with no acknowledgment of the fact that bees may range widely, and swarm activity is described as a springtime event, when it can also occur in summer and early fall. I am looking forward to teaching with it and I hope and think that the children will love it (when broken down into digestible chunks). As a parallel to the book, as the pebble is shaped over time, the pupils could explore how water shapes the landscape through erosion. This resources will encourage and support pupils to explore unknown vocabulary, classify tiered vocabulary independently, explore the wider application of newly acquired vocabulary and enhance classroom vocabulary display which ultimately leads to improved retention.