Nonfiction Monday - Noah Webster and His Words

Ferris, Jeri Chase.  Noah Webster and his Words.  Illus. by Vincent X Kirsch. Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012.           

            (SCBWI Golden Kite Winner, 2013) 

This is a  picture book biography of the man whose American spelling book was instrumental in making American spelling different from British spelling. Ferris cleverly inserts definitions of words onto every page, which continually reminds the reader that he created the still-famous Webster’s Dictionary and she connects his American Speller with major events in American history. 

Although most picture book biographies concentrate on one event in a person’s life, Ferris includes almost Webster’s complete life and offers additional information with a timeline, more facts about Webster, plus a bibliography.  

A very good example of a picture book biography.

Jeri has been an online friend of mine for many years and I was thrilled to see this book of hers be honored with so many awards

More Nonfiction Monday selections can be found here. Click on over to check them out.