13 Words

Reach for this book when your child is stuck in a language rut or starting to find standard early readers a bit predictable. It is the perfect antidote to boredom for the young thinker who delights in the absurd and loves the mouth-feel of complex, unusual words. While it functions as a vocabulary builder, it is primarily an exercise in creative thinking that shows how language can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Lemony Snicket and Maira Kalman take thirteen seemingly unrelated words, from Bird to Despondent to Haberdashery, and weave them into a surreal, circular narrative. The book celebrates the joy of intellectual play and the idea that a single word can change the entire mood of a room. It is sophisticated yet accessible, making it a wonderful choice for parents who want to foster a love of literature that feels more like an art gallery than a classroom.