Have you ever wondered what a Petoskey stone would say if it could talk? That is the question Cherryland member Brittany Darga explores in her new children’s book “If a Petoskey Stone Could Talk.” We sat down with Brittany to hear a little bit more about her book.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about the book?

A: “If a Petoskey Stone Could Talk” is about a family going to the beach in the summer. Just like my kids love to go rock hunting, the kids the in book go rock hunting. The mom and dad ask the children, “Have you ever wondered about rocks? Like, where they come from? Do you ever imagine how old they are? And what if one could talk? What would it say?”

The story explains where Petoskey stones came from and how old they are. They’re millions of years old. But how do you explain how old that is to a kid? Is it older than Grandpa? Is it older than our city; is it older than dinosaurs? The book tries to help kids grasp that concept of how old Petoskey stones are.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the story?

A: My daughters were out rock hunting, and one picked up a Petoskey stone. I had taught them about Petoskey stones and explained they are fossils. She asked me how old they are, and I told her they’re really old. So, she asked, “Older than Grandpa?” I said, “Yes, they’re way older than Grandpa.”

That conversation is what gave me the idea for the book. I was trying to help her understand how old the Petoskey stone was; even I have a hard time understanding how long they have been around.

Q: What is your favorite part of the book?

A: One of the parts I really like is near the beginning of the book. The story sets up and the book reads as if a Petoskey stone could talk—it would say, “Pick me, pick me.” You can just imagine the Petoskey stone kind of like, “Pick me, pick me. I’m awesome. I’m special.” I really like that part; the story feels like it is jumping off the page. Of course, there are many illustrations that really stick out to me that I love through the book as well.

Q: Was there something that surprised you about writing this book?

A: Some of the details such as fitting the illustrations with the words and imagining what will that look like on the page in front of you. And having to convey to my illustrator (another Traverse City local, Jennifer Franzoni) what I was thinking and pairing it with what she thought would look good.