Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers' Favorite

Have you ever wondered about all of those signs along the roads and highways: Deer Crossing, Children Crossing, School Zone? And then there's the sign that reads: Falling Rock. Perhaps you've always thought that these signs were a warning to watch out for something, some danger either to you or to someone else. There is another possibility. It might be that these signs were strategically placed to mark where someone had once journeyed.

Falling Rock is actually a legend, a tale about a young boy named Falling Rock and his best friend, his horse called Runs Like Thunder because of the lightning stripe on his forehead. Falling Rock was playing in a stream one day when some strange men came and stole his horse. Falling Rock was very upset and he vowed that when he was old enough, he would go in search of his horse. He had a dream that convinced Falling Rock he should start his search. He traveled all over the country looking for his horse. He traveled for many years and soon his story was known to many people. These people started posting signs that read Falling Rock so the boy would realize that he had already searched that particular area. When the boy, now a man, wanted to give up, a wonderful thing happened.

Rebecca Heller has written an epic story of a boy's journey into manhood and his search for something precious to him. There is a lesson to be learned from Falling Rock's story, a lesson of determination to see one's goal, one's life project, through to completion, whether or not it is resolved as one originally hoped. There is also a lesson of commitment to a cause. Falling Rock's cause was rescuing his beloved horse. We all need a cause to defend and we should not be afraid to make that commitment to defend or support that cause. The illustrations suit the story and unravel the mystery of the stolen horse and the signs that depicted Falling Rock's journey. This is a classic.