Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that there's nothing to be concerned about, and much to be learned, in this introduction to the joy of words.
Families who read this book could discuss words. What makes some words so much fun? How does knowing a lot of words help? What are some of your favorite words? Together you can also learn the words in the book's glossary and try using them in everyday life whenever you can. Also, how about starting your own collections of wonderful words?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
For kids who love words, and for parents and teachers who want to get them interested in words, this is a treat. Both text and pictures are filled with wonderful words, some long, some short, but all fun to find and use.
The words in the text are included in a glossary, but many of the words in the pictures are not, so their meanings will need to be tracked down.
There are a few false steps. The genie has a Brooklyn Yiddish accent for no discernible reason other than confusing the reader. And Selig's leaving home and not returning until he is an adult seems odd -- his parents are glad to see him again, but no more, and he seems to have had no trouble getting along in the world as a child alone.
The modernist illustrations at first seem rather stilted, but they stay in the mind and, as they are filled with words, they encourage and reward close inspection. This is a delightful book to spark or encourage a love of words, and to inspire family and class activities.
From The Book
Selig loved everything about words -- the sound of them in his ears (tintinnabulating!), the taste of them on his tongue (tantalizing!), the thought of them when they percolated in his brain (stirring!), and, most especially, the feel of them when they moved his heart (Mama!).
Plot Summary:
Selig loves words -- the sound, taste, thought, and feel of them. He collects them on slips of paper and stuffs his pockets full of them. His parents worry about him. His classmates make fun of him. He begins to feel lonely.
One night a genie appears to him in a dream and tells him that he has a passion, but needs a purpose. So Selig leaves home, traveling through the country like Johnny Appleseed, collecting words and distributing them to those who need them. Includes glossary on endpapers.
Related Books:
Other Books by Roni Schotter
Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street
F is for Freedom
Captain Bob Takes Flight
Mama, I'll Give you the World
Captain Snap and the Children of Vinegar Lane
Books with Similar Themes
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
The Legend of Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola
Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellogg
Word Wizard by Cathryn Falwell
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