It’s that time of year when winds whistle, temperatures drop, and I move books from my “wish list” to “purchase now” with plans to wrap and place them under the tree for the grandkids. Shhh. Please don’t tell them (or my daughters) that some of them may end up as Perfect Picture Books (like today’s PPBF) before being unwrapped by eager little hands.
Title: The Dictionary Story
Written By: Sam Winston & Oliver Jeffers
Illustrated By: Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press/2024
Suitable for Ages: 3-7 (and older)
Themes/Topics: words, storytelling, adventure, fantasy, dictionary, alphabet, humor, imagination, purpose, metafiction
Opening:
Most of the time, all the books knew what they were about.
Brief Synopsis: Feeling left out because her words don’t tell a story, a dictionary decides to bring words to life to create a story within her pages.
Links to Resources:
- Check out the Activity Pages;
- Do you have a favorite letter? Try writing, or drawing, a story about a character whose name starts with that letter doing things that begin with that same letter.
Why I Like this Book:
Madcap adventure? Humorous wordplay? A dictionary as the main character? The Dictionary Story has all that and more.
As the story begins, poor dictionary is feeling sad because all of the other books tell stories, and she is filled merely with words. So she decides to bring her words to life, beginning with a hungry alligator and a donut who most definitely does not want to be eaten. Of course, mayhem ensues as the duo encounter more words come to life as they scramble through the alphabet. I won’t spoil the ending, but you can be sure that the wandering words finally find their rightful places.
Not only will kids, and their adults, enjoy the humorous story, but The Dictionary Story is a true visual delight. Reimagined dictionary entries appear as typeset text running along the lower section of each page. The dictionary’s story appears as human writing along the top of each page. And the illustrations careen through the center of each spread. Kids will pour over each page again and again, there’s so much to discover. Older kids and adults will enjoy reading the dictionary entries, including on the endpapers.
Candlewick specifies that this picture book is intended for ages 3-7. I wondered, at first, whether 3 was a bit young. Then I read, and reread the text, lingered on spreads, and realized that there’s something for everyone here. Enjoy!
A Note about Craft:
Notice anything different about the author and illustrator listings above? Unlike the vast majority of picture books that are a collaboration between an author and an illustrator, Jeffers and Winston collaborated on both roles. True talent!
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 