The Dictionary Story

"Dictionary just wants to tell a story like all the other books, so one day she decides to bring her definitions to life. A chase story ensues – Alligator chases Donut and makes a hole in the A’s as he escapes from inside the book. When Queen slips on Soap, some of the S words go tumbling off the page entirely. It’s chaos! The plot is fun and wacky, but what I really want to kvell over is how much work went into this kids’ book about a book. Not only did Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston have a bookbinder make two real copies of their main character (which they then destroyed), but they also filled Dictionary with hundreds of fake but sort-of-real definitions – combining photography, painting, ink handwriting and typography. This book was seven years in the making, and IMO it was worth the effort! (For ages 3 to 7)"

"This exploration of language's origins and the power of words aligns with Popova's enduring interest in the intersection of art, science, and philosophy, and their capacity to shape our understanding of the world. It fits The Marginalian's focus on books that illuminate the human condition through creative and intellectual inquiry."