A Twister of Twists A Tangler of Tongues

 Who likes a good tongue twister?  Alvin Schwartz has collected twisters old and new, short and long to give your tongue a work out!  He explains in the introduction that tongue twisters have been around for centuries, sometimes telling stories, being used as warmups for singers and actors, even helping a dentist assess his work and as a WWII password!

A Twister of Twists, a Tangler of Tongues

Alvin Schwartz

illustrated by Glen Rounds 1972

This one destroys me! 

I can't read this one without rolling my "r's" and thinking of that scene in "Singing in the Rain".

The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants

 The Vowels and Consonants are enemies.  In a pseduo Victorian setting, the upper class vowels look down on the common consonants.  When it comes to war, both sides rally to fight (cleverly some of the Y's become spies).  But when a bigger threat appears in the form of a snarling, scribbling mess of Noise, all the letters realize they can work together to form words that stop the chaos.  

Fun and witty book for word lovers!

The War Between the Vowels and the Consonants

Priscilla Turner

pictures by Whitney Turner 1996

Andy

Andy 

That's My Name

Tomie De Paola

Andy watches as the big kids have fun playing around with letters.  He may be told he's too little to play but he sure is important! 

Ounce Dice Trice

This book is FANTASTIC!  It arrived the other day and I can't stop reading it and talking about it to everyone in my family!  Charlotte and Madeleine both once made up a list of their favorite words (Charlotte's included "soapbox") and I think it's fair to say that we are language lovers in this family.

Ounce Dice Trice

Alastair Reid

Drawings by Ben Shahn 1958

Astair Reid's introduction says it all, how words can sound and feel wonderful.  He goes on to list squishy words, words to be said on the move, names for elephants and kittens and whales.  Names for groups (how brilliant is a "snigglement of string" or "a tribulation of children"?!).  He gives words to sounds ("Ploo" is breaking your shoelace, "kinclunk" is a car going over a manhole cover, "paloop" is the tap dripping in the bath.). And most wonderful of all, a garland of odd words and their definitions circling back around to each other.  

Such a fun book that will surely inspire you to "collect words for yourself" if you haven't already!

Play on Words

We are fond of clever books in this household.  This one took some explaining for Charlotte, but the Provensens prove capable wordsmiths.  They combine their graphic art with clever wordplay.  Be on the lookout for puns and onomatopoeia!

Play on Words

A&M Provensen 1972