As a kid, I was always fascinated with the idea of Esperanto and how it could unite the world. As an adult, that fascination was rekindled when I read In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build a Perfect Language by Arika Okrent. However, I had never thought about learning more about the man behind the language.

This picture book introduces readers of all ages to the life of Leyzer Zamenhof, the man who became known as Doctor Esperanto. We learn of his youth in Poland, about how he came up with and toiled to create a first version of Esperanto which was destroyed by his father, and how he decided to make up a second, much simpler language. That second language is what we now know as Esperanto, a made up language spoken by millions of people around the globe.

[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

What I liked:
- super cute and hopeful!
- full of beautiful illustrations
- very interesting, especially for young readers who like linguistics, languages and conlangs
- great introduction to Esperanto

What I didn't like:
- I wish there was a vocabulary section at the end...

This clearly written and illustrated book tells the story of L. L. Zamenhof’s creation of Esperanto, a universal language created to promote shared understanding and peace. The elegant simplicity of Esperanto is reflected in the elegant simplicity of the book’s language and illustration. A universal language that promotes shared understanding and peace is a worthy goal, deserving of thoughtful consideration. A fine idea to share with young readers.