Tuesday, March 31, 2026

The Gift of Words written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds - OPTIONAL

The Gift of Words written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. PICTURE BOOK. Scholastic Inc., 2025. $19. 9781339000343

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: SOME

Jerome and his rescue dog Ekko are walking the city on the hunt for words. However, when Jerome only finds sad, angry or depressing words, he decides to decorate a tree in the park with his positive word collection and invites his friends and community to participate.

I didn’t really like this picture book. I got what the author was trying to do, but the overall message fell flat for me. I had hoped for more exploration of word choice or diving deep into the joy of language, but the book came off as trite and superficial. I just think there are more ways to create positive change, and share the power of words, than to decorate a bare tree in a park.

Kiera, ELA teacher, #bookswithbeddes



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