Words, words, words! Language has a power like no other, and many budding linguists begin to develop a fascination during childhood with words and their origins. Author Patrick Skipworth picks 5 fantastic non-fiction titles for children sure to kickstart a broader interest in languages, just like our own.
Explore the lives of children all over the world and celebrate one of humanity’s greatest achievements: written and verbal language. With fully illustrated word charts, featuring children depicted in their home country and doing ordinary things, learn about more than 100 languages, from well-known and lesser known indigenous languages that introduce us to some of the world’s most remote communities. With foreword by ethnobotanist and explorer, Professor Wade Davis, this unique book comes with a free, downloadable app for iOS and Android that allows you to hear the phrases in the book, each recorded by a native speaker.
What is a bumbershoot? Or a moonbow? And what does it mean when someone absquatulates…? Find out all this and more in The Dictionary of Difficult Words .
Test your knowledge with more than 400 words to amaze, confuse and inspire budding wordsmiths (and adults). All of the words featured in this book are difficult to spell, hard to say and their meanings are obscure to most children (and most adults)! You can master them with the simple, easy-to-understand definitions and pronunciations written by lexicographer (yes, that’s in there too!) Jane Solomon. Fun, colourful illustrations add whimsy to the pages.
Some jobbernowls say dictionaries are anachronistic, or even obsolete, but it’s kenspeckle to real bibliophiles that those vociferous ninnyhammers are just metagrobolised by the plethora of portmanteaus, neologisms and jargon they offer. Next time you find yourself wrangling with one of these ultracrepidarians, no need to imagineer a sockdolager: just show them this book.
This captivating dictionary celebrates the beauty of the English language for family trivia time spent around the printed page.
The English language is made up of words from different places, events, and periods of time. Each of those words has an exciting story to tell us about where, when, how, and why they came about. Once Upon a Word is packed with easy-to-understand definitions and awesome word origin stories. With this dictionary for kids, you can understand the history and meaning of English words, improve your vocabulary and spelling, and learn to play with language.
Explore how weird words like gnome, fun words like zombie, and common words like caterpillar came to exist. Discover why some words sound funnier than others (like cackle, sizzle, and twang) and why some groups of words start with the same few letters (like hydrate, hydrogen, and fire hydrant). In this dictionary for kids, there’s a whole world of English words to uncover!
Turning the traditional idea of an alphabet book on its head, P is for Pterodactyl is perfect for anyone who has ever been stumped by silent letters or confused by absurd homophones. This whimsical, unique book takes silent letter entries like ‘K is for Knight’ a step further with ‘The noble knight’s knife nicked the knave’s knee.’ Lively illustrations provide context clues, and alliterative words help readers navigate text like ‘a bright white gnat is gnawing on my gnocchi’ with ease. Everyone from early learners to grown-up grammarians will love this wacky book where ‘A is for Aisle’ but ‘Y is definitely not for Why.’
Go “outside,” “elsewhere,” and down the “rabbit hole” with this hilarious introduction to compound words. Young readers will fall in love with the English language as they watch star cartoonist Ivan Brunetti put his sly spin on vocabulary. The lesson here? Even “homework” is fun when you let yourself play with the words.
Did you know that English words come from all over the world and that their meanings have changed along their journey? Our word ‘zero’ comes from the Arabic word for empty space. ‘Companion’ is from the Latin for with bread.
With simple descriptions and dazzling, evocative and witty illustrations, this is a fascinating introduction to the rich history and cultural diversity of our language.
Words included: karaoke (Japanese); zero (Arabic); guru (Sanskrit); ukulele (Hawaiian); jaguar (Tupi); royalty (Norman French); companion (Latin); kookaburra (Wradjuri); worm (Old English); mummy (Persian); caribou (Algonquin); safari (Swahili).
A timeless, beautifully designed book for children and adults alike, The Lost Words is a gift that will be pored over and cherished for years to come.
All over the country, there are words disappearing from children’s lives. These are the words of the natural world; Dandelion, Otter, Bramble and Acorn, all gone. A wild landscape of imagination and play is rapidly fading from our children’s minds.
The Lost Words stands against the disappearance of wild childhood. It is a joyful celebration – in art and word – of nearby nature and its wonders. With acrostic spell-poems by award-winning writer Robert Macfarlane and illustrations by Jackie Morris , this enchanting book evokes the irreplaceable magic of language and nature for all ages.
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