An interesting Dictionary Story & a book asking "Where? - are you from....." from Candlewick Press

The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers (Author, Illustrator), Sam Winston (Author, Illustrator) (9781536235500) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My thoughts:  Now this is quite an interesting and a bit quirky book. First of all the inside cover pages look like a dictionary (words in bold, pronunciation, and definition) but it isn't in alphabetical order. As you scan down a column of words you see that the bold words make up a sentence (with each word defined, but in a quirky, unusual, and interesting manner). 

Then the Dictionary Story actual starts with the idea that whilst other books tell an actual story, a dictionary doesn't even though it has ALL the WORDS used in a story. So one day the Dictionary decides to bring it's words alive for a story. Then in the midst of the "A" page, an Alligator breaks through the type fonts and the story emerges. (Of special note: the author/illustrator has the words virtually falling off the page from the destructive force of Alligator's bursting through.)

As the story progresses through the pages, and the words from A to Z, Alligator sniffs a Donut that escapes and rolls just out of Alligator's bite.

Well, you get the gist. This is a delightfully funny book. It has many opportunities for fun reading including reading the definitions of a plethora of words (bummer that the print is so small, but it's doable).  

I absolutely love this quirky book.

About the book:  From the award-winning creative team of Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston comes an enchanting and imaginative picture book certain to delight word lovers of any age.

Dictionary wishes she could tell a story like other books. So one day, she decides to bring her words to life. How exciting it is to finally have an adventure on her very own pages! But what will she do when her characters collide and everything gets all in a jumble, causing the most enormous tantrum to explode? This isn’t what she wanted at all! Luckily her friend Alphabet knows exactly what to do and sings a song that brings calm and order to Dictionary’s pages once again.

Where?  by Jordon Collier (9781536232738) ⭐⭐

My thoughts:  When I agreed to review this children's book, I assumed it was simply a sweet children's book that dealt with understanding our differences such as our different cultures, skin color, hair, customs, speech. Frankly, I'm just an older Southern lady that hasn't traveled a great deal; and I am fascinated by our differences and love talking with folks about their background, history, cultures. I'll never get to meet a Chinese person in China, an African in Africa, and a modern-day Inca descendent from South America. But I respect them and would love to give them the opportunity to share their background (current or historical) with  me.

So every time someone asks "Where are you from" it isn't racial! It is a natural curiosity and real interest in who they are and what makes them different from me, an uninteresting American from the South.

I take issue with polluting children's minds with political trash. 

Now about this book..... The art is interesting and lends itself well to the telling that the "where" of the body's composition is the same as that of the entire universe. This is true in that we are composed of atoms and other teeny tiny bits and molded into the form that is human. Personally, I have a firm believe that we are created by God and that He also created the entire universe.

The write up for this book should have alerted me to it's contents and purpose when it said "A passionate, personal and political picture book that calls out racism..." When I read the write up about the author, I see she is politically "woke" and uses "they/their" in the description of herself. Firstly, she is entitled to call herself whatever she wants, but she has incorrectly used the pronouns and this creates difficult in reading. An author should endeavor to always use correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling. 

So I can not endorse this little book. A shame, since you take out politics, racism, etc. you find an interesting take on identity where a child can see himself as part and parcel of the entire universe.

Book description: A passionate, personal and political picture book that calls out racism from an important new voice, illustrated by the acclaimed artist of Feathers.

'Where are you from?' they say.

What they mean is,

'Why is your skin that colour?'

'Why does your hair look like that?'

I am from the mountains,

The seas and the sky.

I am from children of millions of years,

A timeline of humanity.

I am from this planet

And all others.

A heartfelt picture book that challenges racism from an exciting new voice that is both a cry of pain and a demonstration of inner strength, which takes us on an intergalactic journey past collapsing stars and glowing nebulae to remind us not of our differences but of our shared humanity.

DISCLOSURE: I received complimentary copies to facilitate a review. Opinions are mine, alone and are freely given.