This is My Rock

This is My Rock is a very personal book for the author. Telling the story of a goat who likes to play King of the Castle at the top of his rock all day long, it was inspired both by the sibling rivalry that David Lucas experienced as one of six brothers and also his childhood love of the Ladybird book Three Billy Goats Gruff. The book is dedicated to one of his brothers who died last year.

The goat refuses to share the top of his rock with any of his three fellow goats. Various animals try to join him, but each one is met with the same repeating refrain: ‘This is my rock. Not your rock’. Then, when the rocks and skies are finally empty, he yodels and dances on the top of his rock to celebrate his ownership. But as night falls, he realises that he is tired, hungry and very much alone. So the next day, he decides to share his rock and goes off to find his three fellow goats, only to discover on his return that the mountaintop has been claimed by a new occupant.

This book is great fun for young children, as the refrain is repetitive, allowing pre-readers to quickly join in with the words. The colourful images are detailed and offer plenty of potential prompts for young children to retell the story for themselves. It’s also a powerful and timeless story about the power of sharing and the meaning of friendship.