W Is For Webster: Noah Webster and his American Dictionary

by Tracey Fern, Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)

Overview

"A fascinating look at the determination and vision that led one man to create an essential resource." - Kirkus Reviews

From an early age, Noah Webster was an odd fellow who liked to talk big and loved learning. He thought America needed its own national language and knew he was just the man to create it. He started with a speller, including everyday words like "scab," "grub," and "mop," and moved on to create a small dictionary. He rode around on a horse, selling his books by hand. Then Noah decided to compile a complete and comprehensive dictionary of American English. He thought the book would take him five years to finish. It took twenty, but his dictionary today is the second-most printed book in the English language.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466895126
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	11/10/2015
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	104 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Tracey Fern is the author of several other picture books, including Dare the Wind and Barnum's Bones, both Junior Library Guild selections. She lives in West Newton, Massachusetts.
Boris Kulikov is the critically acclaimed illustrator of many children's books, including Max's Words by Kate Banks. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

09/07/2015
In a visually fantastical portrait of Noah Webster, Fern and Kulikov present him as an eccentric intellectual with flaming red hair and a tendency to irritate others with his “know-it-all ways.” In the wake of the Revolutionary War, Webster set out to “give America its own language,” creating a bestselling “speller” book before writing the dictionary for which he is best known. Kulikov’s florid paintings toy with dimension and size—in one scene, Webster sits atop a small planet, à la Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince, while an open dictionary helps form an enormous W in a triumphal closing image. Ages 4–8. Author’s agency: Wernick & Pratt Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Wanda Nowak. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

A solid introduction to America’s most famous lexicographer.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“A visually fantastical portrait of Noah Webster.” —Publishers Weekly

“An engaging, diverting read.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A fascinating look at the determination and vision that led one man to create an essential resource.” —Kirkus

Praise for Barnum's Bones:

“T. rex lovers will gobble it up, and seekers of easy biographies will be hot on their heels.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“Tracey Fern ("Buffalo Music," "Pippo the Fool") turns a slice of a scientist's biography into an American adventure tale, describing how Brown and his rivals at other museums raced to find the best fossils and to discover new species.” —New York Times

“…truly breathtaking. This will captivate the masses of kids whose jaws drop in the presence of hulking fossils.” —Booklist, starred review

“Fern fills her text with all the salient facts but uses a breezy, humorous, awestruck voice that strikes just the right tone in telling the story of this fascinating, quirky scientist.” —Kirkus, starred review

From the Publisher

★ 07/01/2015
Gr 3–5—Not every hero is well liked, and as this short picture book biography tells us, that was certainly the case with Noah Webster. He was called an odd fellow, a big talker, and even a lunatic. Yet Webster was steadfast in his belief that Americans needed books written in their own national language—American English, not British English. He wrote a speller for children that simplified the spelling of words and contained stories of American patriots. His biggest accomplishment—a dictionary that included America's own words—took almost 20 years to complete and contained more than 70,000 entries. It was this dictionary that made him an American hero. Fern's writing is clear and direct, contrasting sharply with quotes from Webster's inflated prose. For example, when Webster describes British textbooks as "defective and erroneous," the author says, "That was Noah's way of saying they stunk." The illustrations also reflect Webster's know-it-all attitude, depicting him towering over animals, houses, students, and crowds of people—everything except his huge dictionary. Webster is also the only person shown in full color, while everyone else is in drab, muted tones. Together, the text and visuals clearly emphasize Webster's unique qualities—both the annoying and the exceptional. Pair this book with Jeri Chase Ferris's Noah Webster and His Words (HMH, 2012). VERDICT An excellent introduction to America's most famous lexicographer.—Myra Zarnowski, City University of New York

School Library Journal

2015-08-12
Noah Webster's path to creating his iconic dictionary is brought to life in this picture book. Noah Webster, Fern tells readers, was "an odd fellow" in both looks and interests. He was a tall, skinny child with "brilliant red hair" who used big words and wished his one-room school in Connecticut were in session longer and gave out homework. In 1774, his father, aware that Noah would make a terrible farmer, sent him to Yale College instead. During Noah's time at Yale, the Revolutionary War began, and when it was over, Webster decided that what the fledgling nation of America needed was its own national language. He wrote a small "blue-backed speller" that simplified the spelling of some English words and included some strictly American words. Its success propelled Webster to begin work on a full-fledged American dictionary—a task he wouldn't complete for nearly 20 years. Fern, whose narrative also imparts the idea that holding true to one's passion can result in significant achievements, realistically portrays Webster's discouragement as well as his determination—and his prickly personality. Kulikov's illustrations, with their 18th-century feel and creative medley of scenes that encourage readers to look closely to "read" their meanings, cleverly interpret the text. A fascinating look at the determination and vision that led one man to create an essential resource. (author's note, sources) (Informational picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews