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Did your mother ever tell you, when you came into the house all dirty, that you looked as if you had crawled out from under a rock? What does live under a rock anyway? The fact is that underneath a rock in your backyard there is a habitat for all kinds of interesting creatures, such as earthworms, ants, spiders, beetles, crickets, millipedes, and slugs, each of which plays a very important part in nature’s cycle of life. Be honest – have you never peeked under a rock to see what was there? Author Anthony D. Fredericks is a nature explorer from way back and a former classroom teacher who has written over twenty children’s books, including several in a series on animal communities for Dawn Publicatons.

The rhythmic text, reminiscent of “The old lady who swallowed the fly” or “The house that Jack built,” with just enough repetition to make it fun reading for children, along with Jennifer DiRubbio’s engaging illustrations from a close-up perspective, will send kids outdoors to start looking under rocks and exploring nature. In addition, the back of the book contains two pages of “Field Notes” with further information and a fantastic fact about each of the species mentioned in the story. There is also page of “How to Learn More” with resources for digging deeper into ecology. Under One Rock has won several awards, including the Izaac Walton League Book of the Year. Any child who enjoys studying about nature will really like this book.

— Stories for Children Magazine – Wayne S. Walker (April 2009)

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Here is a beautifully crafted book to introduce our youngest students to habitats. The illustrations – not photographs – vividly detail the life that goes on under a rock. The text is written as a rhyming cumulative story, with a phrase or two to describe each creature uncovered. “The rough-gray rock was discovered by chance/By a brown-skinned boy in ragged pants.” This attractive portion of the book will entice children; the “Field Notes” in the back provide some basic facts about the insects found in the story. Each bug also has a fantastic fact (for example, some species of slugs have more than 20,000 teeth). A “How to Learn More” section lists other child-appropriate resources to encourage further study. It also lists addresses and web sites of organizations working to preserve animal habitats. Recommended.

— Library Talk (May/June 2002)

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“Dear Neighbors, There are many places to live. You may live in a large city. Or, you may live in a small town. You might live on a busy street or a quiet road. Wherever you live, you are part of a community.”

So begins a letter from “Your eight-eyed friend, Spider” in this book that is part of a series on habitats (this one focuses on what lives under rocks). The illustrations are big and bold, and the text is done in a rhyming cumulative verse form.

What child has not turned over a rock and seen a variety of critters scoot away? A whole community of creatures lives under rocks, the book explains – worms and ants, spiders and slugs, crickets and beetles. Creatures with no legs and creatures with many legs. Rocks are everywhere, so a whole new habitat lies just under your feet ready to explore. After reading this book, what child could resist turning over nearby rocks to see what is living there?

— Outdoor America (Fall 2008)