A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road

by Bonnie Christensen

In 9th century China, a little girl sends a small jade pebble to travel with her father along the Silk Road. The pebble passes from his hand all the way to the Republic of Venice, the end of the Silk Road, where a boy cherishes it and sees the value of this gift from a girl at the end of the road. A Neal Porter Book

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, China, Childrens, Adventure, Cultural, Travel

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2013

Reviews

[L.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea behind this book. It just felt a little incomplete; after reading it a few times, I started filling in details to help my 3-year-old understand the Silk Road and what the story was about. The map at the beginning was a great idea and helped tell the story since my daughter is familiar with maps.

[Rachel J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road through a classmate’s Goodreads account. The book was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People from 2015 to 2022. I accessed the book electronically through Kindle. The book is the story of a pebble that travels from end to end of the Silk Road. The story starts with a girl named Mei who asks her father to take the pebble to the farthest end of the silk road in Venice when he goes to the market. He cannot take the pebble the whole way, so he passes it onto a monk who is traveling west. Later the pebble is passed to a sandalwood trader, a performing family, a thief, and finally a pirate. The pirate gives the pebble to his little boy, which means Mei’s request is fulfilled.

According to CBCH, high quality historical fiction should avoid idealizing an historical time period (p.264). A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road shows both the good and the bad of the people along the trade route. For example, the book shows that people formed temporary communities when they met in the market to trade their goods. It also shows that there was danger along the road; after all, two of the pebble’s owners were a thief and a pirate. For this reason, I think this book could be used with junior high school students learning about the silk road. It would give them a snapshot of what the people were like along the Silk Road even though it might not provide them with an overwhelming amount of facts.

The setting is very important in historical fiction, and the pictures in the book give the reader a clear idea of what the road looked like in different cities. You can see the architectural styles and the clothing change from China to what is now Uzbekistan to Italy. The pictures have double page layouts and fill up the pages from edge to edge. This gave me the feeling that I was almost in the city myself.

[Chris Necka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book browsing though my peers Goodreads shelves. The book is highly reviewed via Publishers Weekly. Published in 2013, I was able to find a video a teacher made doing a read aloud of this book, clearly during the Covid Era. The book explores a girl and her desire to send a strange gift West on the Silk road. Mei describes a pebble and the joy and happiness it brings, but her father struggles with how could a pebble be sent west, as it is just a pebble? I think the way it was used in the video I watched would be a GREAT use for this book. The teacher read this aloud to a 6th grade class as they began studying the Silk Road. The bulk of words and literature makes this a little too long for young kids, but to introduce settings, cultures and personalities of the Silk Road, this could be a good story to begin.

[Megan]

Publishers Weekly September 23, 2013
In a sweet-natured story set over two years during the ninth century, Christensen (I, Galileo) follows a small jade pebble along the length of the Silk Road, from China to Italy. The pebble is initially given to a silk merchant by his daughter, Mei, who isn't allowed to accompany her father. "At least my pebble can go," Mei says. "A gift for a child at the end of the road." Mei's father isn't traveling the road's entire length, so he passes the pebble to a Buddhist monk, who gives it to a sandalwood trader heading farther west, and so on, with additional small treasures (a flute, a cinnamon stick) accumulating along with the pebble. Although Mei (understandably) never finds out if her pebble has reached its destination, readers know the truth, and are also privy to a neat reciprocal journey involving a piece of blue glass. Although the characterizations are on the light side, Christen-sen's atmospheric paintings and prose provide lively snapshots of life on the Silk Road; endnotes include additional historical information. Ages 3-7. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Review from Titlewave
Marcia Wernick

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for little kids about a jade pebble being passed from one end of the Silk Road in China (from a little girl) from traveler to traveler to the other end in Venice (ending up with a little boy) - and it is implied that a little square of blue glass that the girl in China received may have started from Venice. We read this as part of a homeschool unit about Marco Polo and the Silk Road.

[Lauren Duffy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this picture book in our homeschool for my 4 and 9 year old children. We had studied ancient China a while back and I wanted to include this book but unfortunately there was an issue getting it from the library. We were finally able to get it and I’m so glad we did. To enjoy this book it helps for children to know about silkworms and how important silk was as a commodity at that time in history. The book is well done with nice illustrations. My favorite thing about the book is the map provided at the very end that the kiddos can follow after reading the story to visualize the route of the Silk Road. They enjoyed that part very much. Living books such as this one offer so much for children when studying history. I recommend this book but suggest prefacing it with a short history lesson on the history of silk.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road Is a story that follows a pebble in the beginning the daughter finds a pebble and then the story continues when different people find the pebble and their stories. This book has amazing illustrations that help bring the sense to life as the reader. This is a great book for children to learn about different cultures and what they are custom to. Within the book, while the pebble is going to different places the illustrations show different areas that info-ate the Culutre, such as the page with the tents this is a great talking point to explore more about the Culutre. This is a book I would have in my classroom as I feel that it is a beautiful book that not only gives children an opportunity to learn about different cultures but also lives through the book through the detailed illustrations.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of young girl in 9th century China who wishes to accompany her merchant father's travel on the Silk Road. Since she is needed be home tending the silkworms, she sends a small jade pebble with her father to pass on to another child at the end of this long road. Since her father only travels a portion of the rout, as did most traders, he relies on other travelers to deliver the small gift.

[Haylie Calderon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follow a young girl name Mai, as she experiences her father having to leave for the development of the Silk Road. This story goes on a grand adventure of the jade she gave her father and also informs of the lives of the people during this time. I would recommend this book for grades 1-4, since it is an easy read and is a fun way to inform them of the development of the Silk Road.

[Celest · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this to my 1 year old and really enjoyed the story a lot. I also loved the beautiful illustrations.

The author ties together the start of her story to the end of her story in a way that made me re-read it immediately. It was very fun and clever, something for adventure lovers of all ages.

[Eileen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read aloud this story to each of my Social Studies classes while teaching the Silk Road and Ancient China. It is a great way to help them grasp many concepts about the trade routes and the people of that time.

[Anna Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story to listen to and the illustrations were beautiful, but it would not be my first choice as a read aloud for my classroom just because I feel like there are other books that express such important messages that need to be read.

[Suebee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good if you are studying the history of China. The endpapers are a map showing the journey taken by a small jade pebble over the "Silk Road" around 850 A.D.

[Rinku · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives an excellant overview of the silk road and the historical significance of it.

[Robin Obara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historic fiction highlighting the perks and perils of trading on the Silk Road. Educational for all.

[Victoria]

1) Text-to-Text Connection: A Single Pebble: A Story of the Silk Road reminded me of The Canterbury Tales. Every character in the story contributes something as a journey is complete. Instead of each character contributing a story, each character contributes an object to a box that represents his/her culture. At the end of the story, the child at the end of the Silk Road receives a treasure that teaches him something about the world and the places his father has been.
2) Rationale: I chose this book because of the author's note on the last page (which I read first when I was considering this book in the library). She says she attempts to "highlight the sensory aspects of the Silk Road" and so has each character give gifts that "reflect all five senses" (Christensen, 2013). I also picked this book for much the same reason I chose Freedom's School; I am a history buff, and a children's book about the Silk Road seemed fascinating to me. I believe that this book is specifically multicultural and international. It represents several cultures which are different from my own and has culturally specific details such as the silk trade in Chang'an, Buddhist monks in Turfan, the sandalwood trade of Kashgar, and so on. With each stop along the Silk Road, a new culture is represented either by their customs, their occupations, or what they value. The final stop on the road is Torcello where the child who ends up with the treasure from "a girl in the land where the sun rises," is the son of a pirate who took the treasure during a raid. The illustrations accurately depict the stops along the Silk Road in the 9th century.
3) Bloom's Questions:
a) Remembering: Name two things in the box that Tammaso receives from his father?
b) Understanding: What do you believe is the main idea of A Single Pebble?
c) Applying: What questions would you ask of each of the characters along the road?
d) Analyzing: What is the relationship between Mei, who lives in China, and Tommaso, who lives in Venice?
e) Evaluating: Would it be better if the box of treasures had made it all the back to Mei instead of stopping with Tommaso?
f) What inferences can you make about where the blue glass Mei is holding in her hand at the end of the story came from?

[Tasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mei wished that she could travel to the market with her father, but she had to stay behind and care for their silk worms. So Mei gave her father a jade pebble to take along and give to a child at the end of the Silk Road. Though her father was only traveling part of the road, Mei was sure that her pebble could go all the way to the end. Mei’s father gave the pebble to a traveling monk who was heading further west on the road. The monk in turn gave the pebble and his flute to a young man who was going even farther west. And so the pebble headed west from hand to hand and other objects joined it in a collection from “a girl in the land where the sun rises.” Finally, after many hands and many people had cared for the pebble, it reached the hands of a young pirate who returned home to his family. His son in Italy received that pebble at the same time that Mei got a piece of blue glass that their city in Italy specialized in.

Set in the 9th century, this book pays homage to the various peoples and communities, nationalities and religions along the Silk Road. Readers will get a great sense of the length of this trading route thanks to Christensen’s story that makes it very concrete and connected. The book also celebrates a good story, where the gifts multiply and all because the story surrounding them becomes more and more compelling as the pebble moves farther from home.

Christensen’s art changes throughout the book. The early pages are softened by the watercolor river and hazy trees in the backgrounds. Moving further into the book, the images become more crisp and clear as the desert takes over the story. The softness returns in Italy again with a different light than the one in China. It is all delicately done and evokes both a connection between the two places but also real differences too.

A rousing journey of a book, this story is a celebration of the Silk Road. Appropriate for ages 5-7.

[Kacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why this book? This historical fiction book adds to those that celebrate Chinese heritage and history

Genre: Historical Fiction

Theme/Keywords: Silk Road, Family, Chinese heritage

Characteristics of quality: Memorable character roughly the same age as students, easy to follow sequence of events, appropriately complex and engaging.

Special Features: Bright and colorful illustrations feature traditional Chinese clothing, materials and landscapes as well as Chinese, Islamic and European art, the author highlights the dynamic interplay of cultures as seen along the route of the Silk Road.

Gender of primary character: Female

Race/ethnicity of primary character: Chinese

Cultural considerations: 9th Century Chinese attire, buildings, materials etc. as well as influences from other cultures who did business on the route.

Language considerations: Written in English the book does not feature any Chinese language
Open Ended Question: Does Mei know if the pebble reaches it’s destination?

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since her father will be traveling far away to sell his silk in ninth-century China, his daughter Mei asks him to bring along a jade pebble. Although she cannot accompany him, she wants to send the object to some child at the end of his journey. Eventually, it is passed from hand to hand and reaches a youngster in Venice. I liked the cyclical nature of the story although I doubted that the pebble could have reached its endpoint along with several offerings, but I also liked to imagine that it could. The lovely illustrations seemed to mimic the cultures and places through which the pebble passed. Perhaps Mei will make the journey of which she dreams some day in the future.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute and clever picture book about life along the Silk Road, which was the trading route from the Far East to Europe from Roman times through the middle ages.
A single jade pebble travels west from China, sent by a girl who hopes it will find it's way to another child at the other end of the trading route. The way it changes hands along its route is interesting, especially the final set of transfers, which demonstrate that the author was not assuming the world was entirely full of nice people.
The reader will learn a little bit about history and travelers, and there are maps and notes which will of interest to older kids.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautiful watercolor illustrations and some text set aside in fancy, bordered boxes make this book visually appealing. The mapped endpapers showing the routes of the silk road, also add to the pluses of this book. A young girl named, Mei, gives her father a pebble to carry west on the silk road. Mei wishes to travel too someday, but for now is content for the pebble to travel for her. The pebble passes through the hands of a monk, a sandalwood trader, an acrobat girl, a poor stranger, a pirate, and finally to the pirate's son. The back of the book contains a note about the silk road, the gifts highlighted in the story, a map note, and useful websites.

[The Styling Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Single Pebble – A Story of the Silk Road by Bonnie Christensen – beautiful story set in 9th century China with a story that had a little connection for me to Beauty and the Beast- connected to a little girl asking her father to bring something special home when he went on a trip. The something special was to bring a pebble with him along the silk road where he is a merchant. Lovely language rhythm, locations, and illustrations throughout the book. Appreciate having a picture book glimpse of life along the silk road. Excellent non-fiction information at the end of the book as well!

[Carrie Gelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An appealing book on so many levels – the history, the geography, the adventure, the culture – wow. The story begins with one girl in China (ninth century China) who dreams of traveling The Silk Road trade route. Not able to travel even part of the way with her father, she asks him to bring a single pebble to send along the road to a child somewhere further along. The path of the pebble is incredible as it is passed from person to person finally ending up in Italy. My son read this book and found it fascinating – all of the old maps and the interesting journey.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Young readers will experience the many cultures populating the 9th century Silk Road, as a a young girl's jade stone travels from her home in China to the end of the road in Italy. Her only wish is that the stone reach Italy, and be given to a child as a gift from a girl in the land where the sun rises. Simple cumulative plot with the jade pebble being joined by sandalwood box, a flute, a carved elephant, and a cinnamon stick--all representing the sensory delights of the the Silk Road. End papers are maps with the various routs. Includes author note, and bibliography.

[Saba N Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful visuals and descriptions in this story about a single pebble that travels along the Silk Road trade route.

What starts out as a small token of a little girl's hope and dreams to experience what she only hears in stories of her father's travels, a green jade pebble begins it journey. But as the stone travels from hand to hand of traders, musicians, performers and even a pirate, the stone brings the lives of two children closer than any road could ever do.

[Brenda Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story of the journey of a pebble along the Silk Road in the 900s in place of the daughter of a Chinese silk merchant, who is not allowed to accompany her father. The pebble changes hands a number of times across the hundreds of miles and each bearer adds an item and passes along Mei's message.

[Karen Dransfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely story about the Silk Road in the past. A young girl gives her travelling father a special pebble for a child at the other end of the road. The father passes it on to another... and so on until it reaches the end of the travels. A good way to start learning about this time in history and places along the route.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love picture books about this era in ancient history. But I felt the illustrations were vague, maybe too cute, or too simple.

My sons loved the story, though, how the two children at the end and the beginning are connected.

[Gps · Rating 4 out of 5]

a charming story, well told historical fiction. the maps and the illustrations draw the reader in closer to the story.

well worth reading and enjoying and can give rise to a good conversation with a young or middle school child.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copyright: 2013
Genre: Multicultural Literacy
Thoughts: Interesting story about a girl who sends a pebble with her father on the silk road. The pebble is passed from traveler to traveler. I would recommend to read it in the classroom.