Common Sense Media Review
By Susan Faust
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively celebration of holiday words to inspire good will.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
A brown-skinned boy and his rescue dog set out on a stroll through their wintery town in THE GIFT OF WORDS. Young Jerome is a wordsmith on a mission, searching for words around town that will express hope and joy to family and friends at the holiday season. But what he encounters are cold, negative words in storefront window ads, at the newsstand with troubling headlines, and on the sidewalk where folks just complain. So, Jerome decides to find a way to bring positive words to the world. He retrieves from home his own collection of paper slips that express his favorite words, and he heads for the park. He then invites everyone to hang their own slips of paper with their favorite words on a bare tree as a way of saying "Happy Holidays." The words include "love," "share," and "listen," as well as holiday greetings like "Peace on Earth" and "Goodwill to all." Jerome brings the community together to celebrate the holiday spirit and "positively powerful words."
Is It Any Good?
Consumerism is sidelined in a lively picture book that instead makes a strong plug for "positively powerful" words as a way to celebrate holiday spirit, Christmas being the implied holiday. A young boy encourages his community to express their holiday hopes, dreams, wishes, and gratitude on slips of paper to hang on a bare neighborhood tree in THE GIFT OF WORDS. In so doing, Jerome focuses attention of what's important and what brings the community together. The crisp text and jaunty art partner to help recalibrate December. Instead of the whole gift-giving thing, emphasis is on the words that promote joy and kindness, not just at Christmas but throughout the year. It's a hefty lift in our consumer culture, done with a loving touch that extols the power of words.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how in The Gift of Words, words are important to Jerome. How do you use words to communicate your feelings of love and gratitude and to inspire good will?
In the story, there are signs around Jerome's neighborhood that advertise a sale or cheap stuff. Do you see ads on videos, TV or billboards? Do the ads tempt you? Why or why not?
Jerome shows perseverance in trying to find words around his neighborhood to express holiday spirit. Do you like Jerome's idea of a word tree that brings community together to work as a team? Might you consider doing one at home or at school or in your neighborhood?
What are your favorite positive words? When do you use them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Peter H. Reynolds
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Activism , Holidays ( Christmas )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Gratitude , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Orchard Books
- Publication date : October 7, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 4 - 8
- Number of pages : 40
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : December 6, 2025
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