- Picture Books
- Ages 2–6
- Comedy
These Are My Rocks
A stylish, funny celebration of the intense seriousness of childhood collecting. Great for toddlers and preschoolers who hoard stones, sticks and treasures, and for adults who recognise the comic logic of 'mine'.
- Best for2–6
- FormatPicture
- Length32 pp
- Read aloud~6 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Gentle
- Irreverent
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
These Are My Rocks is about the deep, particular joy children find in collecting things that adults may not fully understand. The rocks matter because they are chosen, noticed, sorted and claimed. Bethan Woollvin brings her bold graphic style and comic confidence to a very young-child-friendly subject, turning ordinary stones into objects of personality, pride and negotiation. The book is funny and simple on the surface, but it captures something true about childhood: collecting is a way of making sense of the world and building identity. It is less lyrical than When You Find the Right Rock and much more punchy, visual and humorous. It is a useful early-years pick for collectors, nature treasures, strong design, possessive toddlers and children who love books that validate small obsessions.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 2–6
- Read aloud · 2–6
- Independent · 4–7
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
5 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Rock collecting
- Toddlers
- Funny possessiveness
- Childhood treasures
- Bold illustration
Avoid if
- Wants strong plot
- Wants literary nature writing
- Prefers soft art style
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Reluctant reader
- Starting nursery or preschool
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A funny, bold read-aloud about what's mine and yours — a story-time giggle with a gentle nudge about sharing.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific weight is the possessiveness — a child with a collection of rocks, sorting and claiming and absolutely not sharing, the seriousness of having chosen each one treated with proper gravity. The Woollvin picture book that validates small obsessions.
- Adventure and freedom
- Trickery and cleverness
Why parents love it
The Bethan Woollvin bold graphic picture book — possessive-toddler comedy with sly wit, less lyrical than When You Find the Right Rock and much punchier. Useful for the under-fives possession phase and the kids who hoard sticks and stones.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
- Beautiful illustrations
- Bedtime appropriate
About the author & illustrator
Bethan Woollvin.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
When you buy through the links above, we may earn a small commission — it never costs you more, and it never changes the books we choose. How we’re funded →