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beths0103's review against another edition
4.0
I loved learning about Noah Webster's life and how he was inspired to create the first American dictionary. Not only was he a word-nerd, but he loved his country and felt that a dictionary of the English language with American spellings would help unite its people. Webster was most definitely a fascinating man. I especially loved that every page of this book interjected a dictionary definition into the story.
kellkie's review against another edition
3.0
Fascinating insight into the life of Noah Webster and the dictionary that became his life's work. Nice timeline at the end of the book.
canuckmum's review against another edition
5.0
Fun and interesting non fiction picture book.
The dictionary definitions are very fitting, given Noah Webster’s contributions to North American language.
The dictionary definitions are very fitting, given Noah Webster’s contributions to North American language.
muddypuddle's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great biography, focusing on Webster's entire life, not just one portion of it as many children's picture book biographies do. It is interesting and informative, written in a manner that doesn't talk down to kids and makes Noah seems like a real person, giving insights into his personality (he was an incredible patriot!). Many words encountered in the book are immediately defined, as in the actual dictionary, which is a nice introduction to young kids and reinforcement for older kids. I think this excellent biography will be one of my models to help teach my fourth graders how to write a good one themselves.
jshettel's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this picture book biography about the amazing and brilliant Noah Webster. Astonishing to think how much work went into the making of this first American dictionary and the passion he felt about his project!
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
An adorable look at Noah Webster, written in a folksy style, with cartoony illustrations. I loved how the author inserts big words into the text and includes short definitions, seamlessly.
backonthealex's review against another edition
4.0
So many times, I am sitting here writing a post and find myself needing to double check the definition of a word I am about to use. So I go to my trusty dictionary and look it up. What would I ever do with my Webster's Dictionary? But who is this Webster guy?
Born in Connecticut in 1758, by the time Noah Webster was a boy of 12, his father wanted him to become a farmer and follow in his footsteps. But Noah didn't want to farm, he wanted to go the school and study. Luckily for the world, his father was persuaded to send Noah off to Yale to study Latin and Greek when he turned 15.
During the American Revolution, Noah taught school, but all he and his students had were some old schoolbooks from England. When the war ended, Noah decided to write an American speller, a book that would no longer use British spellings- for example, favour would be spelled favor, dropping the British u. Not satisfied even after publishing an American grammar book, after marrying, Noah went to Paris, London and Cambridge to study 20 languages while collecting and defining all kinds of words, including where they originally came from. Eventually, this work became Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language.
Noah Webster and his Words is a wonderful multilayered biography and vocabulary builder. In what could easily have become a dry, dull biography, Ferris has tempered this picture book for old readers with humor and historical details from Webster's time, creating instead an interesting and very readable book. But, vocabulary builder, you ask? Yes, indeed. The book introduces the reader to new words and their meanings right in the text, for example: Noah was EC-STAT-IC [adj.: filled with pleasure; delighted; thrilled]! No flipping back and forth from text to back-of-the-book glossary here.
There is, however, information timeline that parallels Webster's life and the same years in American history, as well as a nice bibliography and websites for the curious, as even a bit more information about Noah Webster.
The illustrations do much from this text in visually presenting Noah life history and work. Using fun, whimsical, cartoon-like mixed media illustrations, Vincent X. Kirsch has given Noah a very large head, in comparison to his body and making me think that perhaps it was big because it was so full of words, but also extending the playfulness of the text.
America was still a young country when Webster began his work and, through his speller, grammar and dictionary, he certainly played an important part in giving the United States her own word personality.
An extensive discussion and activity guide is available for Noah Webster and his Words HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 4-8, but I have to disagree and recommend it for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
Born in Connecticut in 1758, by the time Noah Webster was a boy of 12, his father wanted him to become a farmer and follow in his footsteps. But Noah didn't want to farm, he wanted to go the school and study. Luckily for the world, his father was persuaded to send Noah off to Yale to study Latin and Greek when he turned 15.
During the American Revolution, Noah taught school, but all he and his students had were some old schoolbooks from England. When the war ended, Noah decided to write an American speller, a book that would no longer use British spellings- for example, favour would be spelled favor, dropping the British u. Not satisfied even after publishing an American grammar book, after marrying, Noah went to Paris, London and Cambridge to study 20 languages while collecting and defining all kinds of words, including where they originally came from. Eventually, this work became Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language.
Noah Webster and his Words is a wonderful multilayered biography and vocabulary builder. In what could easily have become a dry, dull biography, Ferris has tempered this picture book for old readers with humor and historical details from Webster's time, creating instead an interesting and very readable book. But, vocabulary builder, you ask? Yes, indeed. The book introduces the reader to new words and their meanings right in the text, for example: Noah was EC-STAT-IC [adj.: filled with pleasure; delighted; thrilled]! No flipping back and forth from text to back-of-the-book glossary here.
There is, however, information timeline that parallels Webster's life and the same years in American history, as well as a nice bibliography and websites for the curious, as even a bit more information about Noah Webster.
The illustrations do much from this text in visually presenting Noah life history and work. Using fun, whimsical, cartoon-like mixed media illustrations, Vincent X. Kirsch has given Noah a very large head, in comparison to his body and making me think that perhaps it was big because it was so full of words, but also extending the playfulness of the text.
America was still a young country when Webster began his work and, through his speller, grammar and dictionary, he certainly played an important part in giving the United States her own word personality.
An extensive discussion and activity guide is available for Noah Webster and his Words HERE
This book is recommended for readers age 4-8, but I have to disagree and recommend it for readers age 7+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
rainbowbookworm's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but after "The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus", this book pales in comparison.