Curious George's Dictionary

November 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 1-This picture dictionary is intended to introduce children to basic words and concepts. It begins with four pages that show the mischievous monkey receiving the book as a birthday present and learning to use it. The pages that follow have six words each and include abstract notions such as "far," "some," and "before." The definitions are provided through pictures and simple sentences (although some terms, like "ant," "bag," and "dress," have only a picture). When a word has two meanings, for example, "can" and "wave," it has two entries: "The beans are in a can" and "George can paint." Illustrations are done in the style of H. A. Rey's work. This book has use as a resource to introduce the idea of a dictionary, and kids may learn some new words in the process. But from the library shelf, they're likely to choose the traditional stories instead."Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2009
Curious George and his friends illustrate six hundred words in this picture dictionary for preschoolers. With no more than six words per page, there's plenty of room for the accompanying illustrative "definitions." The layout is inviting, and the two-page foreword will give adults useful information about helping young children expand their vocabulary.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)