The Very Inappropriate Word

by Jim Tobin, Dave Coverly (Illustrator)

Overview

Michael loves interesting words (hard words like ELASTIC, little words like VAST, and big words like SMITHEREENS) and is always on the lookout for words to collect. Then one day, he picks up a new word. A bad word. An inappropriate word. At least, that's what his friend says. But Michael kind of likes the word. He thinks he might try it out.

At school.

Bad idea.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466844759
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	08/20/2013
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	36
File size:	38 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

JIM TOBIN is an award-winning biographer and the author of Ernie Pyle's War and To Conquer the Air. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

DAVE COVERLY is a nationally syndicated cartoonist whose Speed Bump cartoons appear in more than 200 newspapers, including The Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, and Parade magazine. He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Michael is a budding logophile: “He picked up new words at practice and downtown and even in school, where Mrs. Dixon gave the kids one new spelling word every day.” But when Michael picks up an “inappropriate” word (albeit one that grownups use with impunity) on the school bus, he can’t resist helping it go viral (“Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there was also something about it that he kind of liked”). This is Tobin and Coverly’s second collaboration, after Sue MacDonald Had a Book, and they prove once again that a low-key reportorial style and perpetually surprised–looking characters are a great combination. Readers (and teachers) will especially like Coverly’s portrayal of the words as cleverly literal word balloons that Michael stashes under his bed (a “smithereens” bubble crumbles; “fling” resembles a Frisbee) or, in the case of the noxious green grawlix-filled bubble, surreptitiously shares under the playground slide. Best of all, Mrs. Dixon doesn’t quash Michael’s interest in vocabulary, instead subtly encouraging him to look past “bad” words to far more interesting ones. Ages 5–9. Agent: Melissa Chinchillo, Fletcher & Company. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

An Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award Reading List Selection

“Tobin's story celebrates language, whether the words are good, bad or just plain fun.” —The New York Times

“Exaggerated cartoony fun on a mostly untouched topic—it's pretty @#*! good.” —BCCB

“The only problem with this book will be in trying to keep children from sharing their own inappropriate words.” —School Library Journal

“[Tobin and Coverly] prove once again that a low-key reportorial style and perpetually surprised–looking characters are a great combination.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“The ink-and-watercolor pictures will hook kids with the adventure scenarios, the warm feelings, and the simple, chanting text, which includes a question-answer refrain. An obvious choice for classroom sharing, this will make an energetic read-aloud in any setting.” —Booklist on Sue MacDonald Had a Book

“The cartoony illustrations and smart verse make for an engaging read-aloud—or sing-along.” —Publishers Weekly on Sue MacDonald Had a Book

“This lively grammar-related adventure is a sing-along. . . . Done in vivid colors, the ink-and-watercolor illustrations feature high-energy cartoon figures. . . . This educational romp . . . is a strong choice for classroom and library collections.” —School Library Journal on Sue MacDonald Had a Book

“A fun-filled way to introduce and emphasize vowel sounds, this is particularly well-suited for use in the classroom or for a parent/child sing-along.” —Kirkus Reviews on Sue MacDonald Had a Book

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2—Michael collects words. He enjoys finding new ones on signs, on TV, at baseball practice, and at school. The humorous ink and watercolor cartoon illustrations represent the words graphically-"sudsy" appears in a soap bubble, "slugger" on a baseball, etc., and help to illuminate their meanings. Michael happily collects the words until the day he hears a new one on the school bus. It is depicted as an angry-looking scribbled mess with symbols instead of letters. Michael picks up the word to add it to his collection. His older sister, however, says, "Michael! That is a very inappropriate word!" Unsure, he asks his friend what "inappropriate" means. When "Bad!" is the answer, Michael hides the word in his pocket. Suddenly aware, he hears it in more places. He cannot resist showing it to his friends at school. His kind teacher redirects him to the library and gives him the job of finding different new words. Using stacks of books with well-known titles, Michael happily gathers fascinating words such as "vibrato," "shenanigans," and "nimbus." His collection grows so large, he eventually loses track of the very inappropriate term. The only problem with this book will be in trying to keep children from sharing their own inappropriate words. For a fun storytime, pair this title with Audrey Wood's Elbert's Bad Word (Harcourt, 1988).—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA

School Library Journal

Michael's love of words is celebrated in speech bubbles and comedic situations. Michael notices words everywhere, from signs on the highway to commercials on the television. At school, his teacher, Mrs. Dixon, gives the class a new spelling word every day. He saves his words in a box under his bed. Everything is fine until one day, on the school bus, he hears a new word that is "very inappropriate." Though he knows the word is bad, there is something Michael likes about the word, and he continues to share it. Soon, all the kids at school are using it. When wise Mrs. Dixon gets wind of the situation, she comes up with her own way to replace this word with something more appropriate. It's nice to see a boy (and a boy of color, no less) be so interested in words. Comic-book elements work well with Coverly's droll cartoon style, especially the frequent use of shaped speech bubbles, which give his word collection delightful physicality. Michael's eyes bulge and his ears flap, making him easy to find on the energetic pages. (His father's eyes bulge too, but in a distracting way that makes it look like he has an extra eye, something children are sure to notice.) Teachers will enjoy this amusing celebration of vocabulary and will find many ways to spur their students' imaginations into creating speech bubbles of their own. Young word lovers will have lots to peruse here. (Picture book. 4-9)

Kirkus Reviews