Book excerpt: From “What is a rock?” to dinosaur fossils and meteorites, this stunning book explores everything you ever wanted to know about rocks and minerals. With its sparkling cover, out-of-this-world artwork from Anna Alanko, and expert content written by two geologists, this is the book all rock-crazy kids need. Rocks are all around us, from explosive volcanoes, magnificent mountains, and sandy deserts, to muddy sea floors, winding river valleys, and even asteroids in outer space! They are also in our computers, smartphones, medicines, buildings, airplanes, and space shuttles. Understanding how rocks form helps us to understand how the Earth and the solar system work, and how the Earth has changed over millions of years and how it might look in the future. This dazzlingly illustrated guide covers every aspect of this important topic: Igneous rocks Sedimentary rocks Fossils Metamorphic rocks Space rocks Gemstones Did you know that there is a bus-sized potassium crystal feldspar in Russia? Or that most of the gold, silver and platinum found at the Earth’s surface is thought to have arrived on meteorites from outer space? Complete with fascinating side notes, an illustrated explanation of the rock cycle, a geological timeline, beautiful images of a vast array of rocks and gems, and a helpful glossary at the back, The Rocking Book of Rocks will captivate and astound rock-lovers of all ages.