I adore books like this that foster curiosity while offering a good laugh at the same time. From the first word in this collection of twenty-six (plus an additional twenty-six at the back) the tone is established.
Arachibutyrophobia
The alarming fear of peanut butter sticking to the top of your mouth! (see below for the illustration)
Each word comes with a pronunciation guide, a definition and a wild illustration.
Here are some of my favourites:
Bibliomania - you have bibliomania if you love to collect as many books as you can.
Idioglossia - If you share a secret language with a friend, it's called idioglossia.
Stelliferous - When the night sky is filled with stars, it's a stelliferous sight!
Here are some words you could add to everyday conversations with your child:
flibbertigibbet
gobbledygook
horripilation
dulcifluous
whirligig
undulating
rapscallion
nincompoop
On the final two pages there are twenty-six more words (in alphabetical order) to learn and enjoy.
I didn't know jillion is a very high number, nephelococcygia means finding familiar shapes in clouds, and zoosemiotics means the study of how animals communicate.
You could use this book once a week with a class. Introduce a new word, have fun with it and perhaps try to use the word all through the week in your conversations and writing. Your class could then compile their own book with twenty-six new words all enhanced with fabulous illustrations.
If you need some more inspiration look for The Magic Dictionary by Bruce Whatley.
Take a look at my review of Word of Mouse also by James Patterson which was a book I adored. Here is a video interview with James and Susan.
I would pair this book with The Weird and wonderful world of Words. If you have an older class you could look for these books in your school library:
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