JEROME THE STONE

A stone who dreams of flight gets his wish.

An anthropomorphized stone who sports a jaunty acorn-cap hat observes the world around him and wishes he could see and do the things others do. But unlike the insects all around him—the hopping grasshoppers, the marching ants, the buzzing bees—Jerome knows he cannot even move on his own. (In a funny sequence of vignettes, he exerts great effort, but only his facial features move.) But then, “Without any warning, Jerome was soaring through the air,” kicked by a boy who then stows the rock in his pocket. Readers—and Jerome—quickly learn the boy’s intent, as he places Jerome just so, pulls back, and lets fly with a slingshot. Jerome’s flight is marvelous, though impossible with regard to the rules of physics; he ends up in space before coming back to Earth to hit a bullseye (hat still on) and wonder what tomorrow will bring. The simplistic cartoon illustrations don’t seem tailored for the same audience as the wordy, pedestrian text. Moreover, as a character, Jerome is literally inert; his only arc is his flight, and readers will wonder what the overall point is. The perspective changes and Jerome’s expressive face really put readers in his shoes, uhmmm, hat, though.

With no takeaway lesson and little to hold readers’ interest, this is one stone to skip.