Fighting Words

by Leonarda Carranza, Erika Medina (Illustrator)

Overview

The award-winning author of Abuelita and Me explores the power of language in this energetic, imaginative picture book that takes readers on a wild word chase.

When Ali’s cousin rips his favorite book, angry words explode out of him. The words are so angry, they come to life! They tease Ama, wreak havoc on their abuelita’s home, and crash through the neighborhood. Ali didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but now that the words are on the loose, it’s up to him to catch them—and to repair the damage they’ve done.

Acclaimed illustrator Erika Medina brings Ali’s word monsters to life in this fun and fast-paced exploration of anger, accountability, and resolving conflict.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773219011
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,153,638
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	AD520L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

LEONARDA CARRANZA was raised in Tkaronto, and born in Cuscatlán (El Salvador) to a mixed-race family of Afro-Indigenous ancestry. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Justice Education from the University of Toronto. She is the winner of Briarpatch Magazine's Writing in the Margins contest, and Room’s 2018 short forms contest. Leonarda lives in Brampton, ON, part of the Treaty Lands and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

ERIKA MEDINA is a Mexican illustrator and book publicist living and working in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is interested in storytelling, myths and legends, and scary stories. Erika is the illustrator of several picture books, including Margot and the Moon Landing, 48 Grasshopper Estates, and Adela's Mariachi Band (August 2024).

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2024

When Ali’s cousin Ama takes his favorite insect book and handles it roughly, it results in a tussle—and a torn page. The anger Ali immediately feels transforms into shouted words; Medina (Adela’s Mariachi Band) shapes the letters of the phrase “I hate you” into black stick figures with toothy mouths and raised hands. The words first push Ama, then go on a tear, ripping the sofa cushions, jumping out the window, and crushing Abuelita’s flowers (“They even tried to punch a bee”). Ali fetches a net, and the family chases the words as they do still more damage, biting a neighborhood dog and trapping Ama under the net. Medina captures the action in cartoon-style artwork that makes the Latinx-cued characters’ facial expressions easy to read. At last, Ali discovers that making amends causes the words to grow smaller. Even simple truth-telling (“I’m still angry”) shrinks the letters, which “flickered and disappeared” in the face of repair. In clear language, Carranza (Abuelita and Me) writes a fast-moving fable that casts hurtful language as a literal force and focuses not just on regulating emotion but on the power of peacemaking, too. Ages 4–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

A perceptive consideration of the effects of anger—and a much-needed blueprint for how to deal with them.”

—Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 07/04/2024

“In clear language, Carranza (Abuelita and Me) writes a fast-moving fable that casts hurtful language as a literal force and focuses not just on regulating emotion but on the power of peacemaking, too.”  —Publishers Weekly, 09/19/24

From the Publisher

★ 2024-07-04
A boy’s anger literally buzzes to life and runs amok in the shape of words.

When Ali notices his cousin Ama mistreating his insect book, he moves to snatch it from her hands. During the skirmish, a page gets ripped out. In anger, Ali lets loose a yell; scrawled letters unexpectedly fill the air. His rage builds until he screams, “I HATE YOU!!!” The anthropomorphized letters quickly jump into action, attacking Ama and tearing up the couch and Abuelita’s special cushions. Despite Ali’s objections, the letters continue their fiendish assault. Soon, the devious letters go outside, smashing bushes and flowers. One letter even attempts to hurt a bee! Inspired by his insect book and joined by Ama and Abuelita, Ali rushes to stop the letters with a net, learning how best to release his anger along the way. Adopting a refreshingly empathetic perspective, Carranza adroitly depicts Ali’s transformation. The child’s wrath turns to observation—of the impact of hurtful words uttered amid a cloud of pain—and then to a recognizable potential to undo unintended emotional wounds while still acknowledging that initial anger. Overall, it’s an excellent message to potential anger-prone readers, wrapped in an understanding tone. Medina’s brisk, dynamic artwork whisks the action from page to page, boasting humorous creature letters with mean smiles and gruff frowns. The brown-skinned characters read as Latine.

A perceptive consideration of the effects of anger—and a much-needed blueprint for how to deal with them.(Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews