The Dictionary of Difficult Words

This is the most awesome book I've come across. Don't let the title fool you; within its pages is something that's more precious than difficult words. This book not only sets out how to use a dictionary, it explains the difficulty with language.
I can't wait for this to be published so I can have a physical copy to call my own.

I will be buying and recommending this book to every school I know.
What an amazing new way to learn and discover words from the past and present, not to mention the only way to ensure they remain in the future.

I love the concept of this dictionary- it doesn't set out to list all the words but it has some carefully chosen ones to make you think, read more and try to pronounce and use in a sentence. Thank you for adding the pronunciation key. It was an absolute must for many of the words.

The words are interesting, funny and captivating. I wanted to write them down to use in my next conversations with people and it would be wonderful for children to practice using some of the words and seeing if they can catch people out. What,for example, is "spaghettification" and how can you use that in a sentence? Do you believe "Hurdy-Gurdy" is a real word? So much fun to pore over and read word by word,

In the first pages, there is a guide called "How to read this book" and it could be applied to any non fiction book.
Read it in order, backwards, silently, out loud, in the dark or on random pages. I would want to print this page out and give it as a guide for helping families with reading at home. It should be fun, it should be led by the child, it should be enjoyable.

My children loved the illustrations, as did I, and we felt they really made this a book to enjoy. It wasn't a typical dictionary with photos and diagrams but a fun new way of learning amazing vocabulary. The illustration have a wonderful vintage feel and the colours leap off the pages.

Wonderful and 5 stars from me!

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a colorful resource of vocabulary words. I enjoyed the illustrations and the variety of the terms. It would be perfect for my academic advisement students when they are working on word stems. I will refer this book to my Gifted and Talented teachers for their classrooms. Thanks Quarto Publishing Group-Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

This is a cute dictionary of less than common (or easy) words for those young readers who like to learn and like a challenge. As someone who always loved to learn new words and to be able to say and understand the hard ones, I would have been all over this!

It’s an easy way to challenge a young ones mind and vocabulary, while also making it fun. There are tips inside as to how one can read it, which would encourage kids to read/play with their friends or family by quizzing or guessing etc. Even as an adult, some of these words are challenging and new to me.

The illustrations also make it more fun as opposed to just words on a page, with a few extra tidbits of info and coloured pictures.

What a fantastic book! Will certainly need to buy a print copy! Cute pictures and a great selection of difficult and unique words! Perfect for all ages.

What an amazing book! It brings to light words that might be new but even better ones we’re familiar with but had no idea what they meant or how to pronounce. I see this in every household as parents would enjoy the variety of unique words and would help develop their vocabulary. This would be great for a librarian to use in group sessions again to help bring a greater understanding and appreciation of the words in our world to students.
I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a beautifully illustrated book that shares about difficult words and their meanings. Our 3rd grader comes home weekly with a spelling list and he loves having the chance to try and decipher the trickier words he is learning about in class so this was a fun connection. This book was so fun to read with him and it was very engaging for an elementary school audience. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The most unique and fun dictionary ever. Conventional dictionaries are referencing tools. Despite the fact some people do enjoy "reading" dictionaries, but most of us only point our ways to them when we need to look up words we don't know. This particular dictionary, however, is more than "a tool" but a fun read for readers of all ages. Majority of the words in this collection are not commonly used yet they are some of the most practical vocabularies everyone should know. We normally describe people who love cats as a cat lovers but how often we call them "ailurophiles?" How many times we have seen people name the "coming-of-age" novel a "bildungsroman?' And I can only imagine how cute my 5yo would be when asking me for his "bumbershoot" rather than using the normally used word "umbrella."

With the exception of the abstract words, vocabularies are accompanied by fun illustrations which is the publisher's signature niche. Definitions and explanations are written in the most direct and the simplest way. The author also provides pronunciations which is helpful.

Useful, aesthetic, educational and fun, "The Dictionary of Difficult Words" is DEFINITELY a book everyone should own. Already placed my pre-order online today. I highly recommend!

Every classroom and home should have a copy of this beautiful book to encourage playfulness and joy in language!
Each word is accompanied by cute, colourful explanations which are child-friendly, often giving examples to assist in usage.
I learned a few new words, all of which I am planning to use in the near future:
Kakistocracy - a government ruled by the worst people...
Ultracrepidarian - someone who has very big opinions about things about which they know nothing
Sesquipidalian - someone who knows lots of big words and enjoys using them
Zeugma - a play on words where one word is used in two different contexts in the same sentence e.g. She devoured her book and sandwich.
I absolutely loved this quirky collection of words and will be getting my hands on a few copies for our school library!

I love the idea of the book. The words are very good for developing a child's vocabulary. The illustrations are simple and nice, the explanation of each word is easy for children to understand. Teachers can use this words for students assignments.

Loved this! Already bought it for my library!

Dictionaries are great, but can be overwhelming for struggling readers or dreary to accomplished ones. No more! This books makes learning new words enticing and colorful. I may just swap it for the Merriam-Webster on my word-of-the-week display.

What an absolutely fun book! Okay, you have to be willing to "read the dictionary" with this one, but on the very first page of definitions I actually said, "that's a word?!?" With bright colors and fun illustrations, I think this is a book that kids can play around with together and have great conversations. I also really appreciate the intro pages helping kids understand parts of speech and how to help figure out what a word means by clues like "-ologist," "-ism," and "-phile."

I absolutely LOVE this book!!
An A-Z of some of the more difficult words ont he dictionary. It’s very well done to appeal to young and old readers alike. There’s a helpful “how to read this book” in guide in the beginning AND instead of jumping right in to the words and definitions, there’s and overview of parts of speech and how to sound out words! It’s short and sweet, but packs a punch! The illustrations are beautiful and the layout is very attractive.

Highly Recommend!

What a neat book! It takes big words and defines them but doesn’t have pages upon pages of them to overwhelm. Some words I did not know my many I did. In a day where literacy is on the decline (as far as using and comprehending large words) and language being shrunken to emoticons and text message shortenings, this is a great addition to one’s home library! It would be a great extra book for summer learning or homeschooling!

My only thing I was not a fan of is the fact that they had to get into people wanted to be called “they” instead of an actual gender on the very last page. It may be something up for debate these days but I feel it was unnecessary. Given some of the titles I see by this publisher I should not be surprised, but I think it begs warning.

This is such an amazing and fun books for kids and adults alike! It's a great resource for anyone who loves words, and exploring what the English language has to offer. The introduction is a great reference for understanding how dictionaries work, as well as how we might figure out what a word means.

I think this would also be a great book for classrooms to use to refer to in writing, or for exploring a new word each day!

I highly recommend this book. Who knows, while reading you might just find out you're an affable ailurophile, or a bespectacled bibliophile!

While this book is marketed towards children, I have to admit I wanted it just for myself. Mostly to learn some new “fancy” words to up my English skills a little.
The illustrations in this book were cute and probably make it more appealing for kids to read a dictionary. The definitions were easy to understand.
“The Dictionary of Difficult Words” is a great book for children and adults alike and would be perfect for classrooms and school libraries.

I can't wait to get this book for the children I work with to use. The illustrations are beautiful and the presentation of the words on the page is very engaging. I particularly enjoyed the page that tells you about how to look at the end of a word to start working out the meaning (-graph, -ology etc). I can see this book being used both as a tool in lessons and also just as a book to pick up and enjoy. I wasn't always convinced by the suggested pronunciation of some of the words or the spelling of this but I suspect this will be down to regional accents more than anything else and will in no way deter me from buying a copy and sharing it with colleagues and the children. A beautiful book.

What a spectacular opportunity to further extend on your children's ever growing knowledge and vocabulary. As parents and teachers, we `seek to further educate generations of youth from present and into the future ,in order to provide the opportunity for these individuals to increase and add onto the knowledge that they are already equipped with. This novel is a wonderful way to engage individuals in learning new and exciting words which they can then utilise and explore in their every day way of life. The book engages with children as its not over childish yet displays an appropriate yet creative cover to the book which gives a sense of educational literature to the child. In my own personal and professional observations, i truly believe this book will become one of many great resources beneficial to the department of education as a tool to aid students in learning and engaging with words and definition. This book has the potential to be found in schools throughout the world. I even think it could be beneficial to those children in poverty countries who struggle and don't have the resources to facilitate the educations of young people due to the situations in these poor countries where they struggle just to make ends meet. Perhaps in such situations, a kind selfless individual may buy and provide these books to poverty countries or those whom are less fortunate and who struggle to financially provide the resources necessary for an acceptable education. As citizens of the world I feel that we all should have the compassion and decency to help those in need of such things such as educational resources in order to aid them in becoming fine and upstanding members of society and to assist them in creating an stable life for themselves in the form of careers etc. You can not live without stable income these days and so a little bit of selflessness and kindness can go a long way,

I am giving 5 stars as I have been a childcare teacher in the past and always have had the mindset that every child deserves to be the best they can be and have an exceptional education. This is why I gave 5 stars as I sincerely believe this book will go far and impact on many individuals enabling them the tools they need to excel.

I congratulate Jane Solomon on this exceptional and educational piece of literature. I look forward to any future book endeavours that she may pursue and publish.

I like this a lot! Each letter of the alphabet has four pages over which 15 or so more difficult words are defined and illustrated. For each letter there is also one special word that gets a full-page illustration and a bit more explanation.

The illustrations here won't appeal to everyone, but there is a plethora of information within the pages that will keep even the most precocious polymath busy for quite some time.

4 strong stars for this suprisingly interesting dictionary.

Thanks to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for providing me with a DRC of this book.

This book is an awesome book to build a child's vocabulary and to have fun with words at the same time! The illustrations are very whimsical and inviting and the "difficult words "spark a lot of conversation. This is a great book for a parent and child to devour together!

This book is so much fun! I can see me reading it with my grandson who is just learning how to read and sound out big words. Then I can imagine discussions around some of the more silly sounding ones like ZEDONK and ZEGUMA!

The Dictionary of Difficult Words
by Jane Solomon, Louise Lockhart (Illustrator)
This is a fun children's book that I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. It has a wonderful selection of words, what they mean, and how to say them. Some words are quite the mouthful! It is sure to make for some conversations and laughter. I think this will be a fun book for kids that like something different. This book makes learning fun.

This is a dictionary, but not a typical one. It is designed for children who are intrigued by words or who could use something to help them to become more interested in words and reading. Appealingly illustrated and wisely selected, the entries are entertaining and informative.

The author playfully suggests ways to read the book. A few examples include back to front, front to back, by opening to a random page, etc. The idea is that exploring words should be intriguing. Before getting started, there are a couple of helpful sections; one describes the parts of speech and another offers hints for decoding some words (for example phile referring to loving something).

The words themselves are appealing. Some, even if arcane, I knew while others I came across for the first time. Often difficult to pronounce or spell, the child who learns them will feel mighty clever!

This book deserves its place in homes and schools. It is a perfect book to browse through and enjoy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this informative book. All

I like learning new words, and its even better if the word is obscure. The Dictionary of Difficult Words immediately caught my eye, and I wanted to see what additions to my vocabulary I could find.

Before you get into the definitions, there is a brief overview of the book and what you'll find, then a short lesson on parts of speech and how you can work out definitions and pronunciations of words. Then, at least for me, the fun begins.

There is a mix of commonly used and more obscure words. Some of them I grew up hearing, but there were several that I had not heard of, but will start looking for ways to drop them into my conversations. I think that anyone who likes words will find something to like in the book.

Even though it contains difficult words, they are defined in a simple way. In fact, even older kids could probably learn with them fairly easily. The definitions are in plain language and the pronunciation guides are easy to follow. There are colorful pictures on each page that show some of the definitions.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Definitely a "You Learn something new everyday!" sort of book! Fun but tricky words with pronunciation guide. Interesting to kids who liked learning new words in Fancy Nancy series. Also great for "Hey, did you know..."
I just learned a group of cats in called a clowder.

Wow! The title of this book is appropriate! Although the illustrations in this book would lead a person to think that this book is for children, the reality is only a few adults who will know most, if not all, of the words in this book. I am a voracious reader and there were many words in this dictionary I did not know. That said, I enjoyed seeing all the words I did not know because I am now challenged to learn them. Overall, this book is appropriate for anyone who desires to rise another level in their vocabulary and makes an excellent gift for anyone who has a similar desire.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book that was provided by the publisher through Net Galley. However, the thoughts and opinions presented here are my own.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is an illustrated dictionary of useful, fun, obsolete/obsolescent, weird, wonderful, and difficult words. Due out 2nd May 2019 on Quarto's Frances Lincoln imprint, it's 112 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats. Author Jane Soloman is a professional lexicographer and iconographer. Artist Louise Lockheart's quirky illustrations give an enthusiastic feeling to the listings (see cover art).

This would have appealed to me immensely as a kid. I have always loved language and the incredible richness of English especially. This would make a superlative library book or gift for the sesquipedalian person in your life, adults and youngsters alike.

Five stars. Really fun and worthwhile.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes

The Dictionary of Difficult Words by Jane Solomon

This is a book I would LOVE to buy for my granddaughters! I can just see them walking into class and saying that they were feeling ramfeezled after the long trip back to Alabama from Bali or perhaps ask their parents why their teacher was flummoxed at work. There are so MANY wonderful words in this book that I can see a family learning one new word a day or even a week then using that word in the right way at least once during the day. I have to admit there were a few new words to me or perhaps ones that I just haven’t seen or used often enough to stick with me BUT what a smorgasbord of words there are in this book to tantalize a wordsmith!

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children’s Books ~ This is my honest review.

5 Stars

A book to prevent circumlocution and obfuscation, and make one a bit more grandiloquent and sesquipedalian instead (if not fully extemporaneous). Yes, from those down to 'droll' and simple place-fillers like 'gale', this book is a guide to some of the more extreme corners of our word use, but still suited to the primary school audience. Yes, six-syllable words can be seen to be throwing kids into the deep end, but I think that's a good thing, and the subjects of the words here are all suitably age-appropriate, and easily conveyed. It's all harmless fun, is easy to browse – and with my more Scrabble-leaning vocab, still taught me a couple of things. A couple of entries seemed a little too obscure, or easy, or neologisms (a 'dabster', anyone?!) but I'd rate this highly for the school library.

This book was a wonderful exploration of language that any logophile (a lover of words) will enjoy and that would make a welcome addition to classrooms and libraries.

Each letter of this dictionary covers two double page spreads with a number of words and definitions for each letter accompanied by illustrations, as well as a full page illustration to supplement the definition of one of the words. Reading a dictionary is often seen as something boring or tedious, but this was anything but. With simple and easy to understand explanations, and eye-catching design, it is a great way to explore vocabulary and encourage the use of more daring or exciting words in an accessible way. It’s not necessarily a book you’d read cover to cover (even though I did and enjoyed it) but is a great book to dip in and out of, and could be made use of in a classroom setting.

As an adult, there were a number of words I was already familiar with, so it was especially a treat when a word I didn’t know came up- some favourites include: ailurophile (because I do indeed love cats and have never encountered this word before) and blatherskite (because it is fun to say- see also: cockalorum, flapdoodle and flibbergibbet to highlight just a few delights this book has to offer.)

Overall a good book that I’d love to own in physical copy.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a delightful book for budding wordsmiths!
A brief introduction gives the reader permission to read the book straight through from A to Z to learn new things, or not read it at all, and just look at the pictures.
The illustrations are whimsical and eye-catching. With interesting pictures and cool words like Quixotic and Salubrious, I don’t doubt that whatever approach is taken new words will be learned.
My only recommendation for a change would be to replace the word “Difficult” in the title. I fear that could be off-putting to some children who would otherwise benefit from this book. This collection of words may more aptly be described as “less common”. I dare say most adults would gain from perusing this volume.
#TheDictionaryofDifficultWords #NetGalley
@QuartoKids ‏ @QuartoKnows ‏ @TheQuartoGroup

What a beauty. Although by all intents and purposes this seems like a children's book this is a perfect addition to the library or bookshelf of anyone interested in the English language and all of the weird, wonderful and often underused words that make it so fascinating. Each word is clearly defined in accessible, easily understood terms and the correct pronunciation is also given; that is of course very helpful. The bright, bold colours surrounding the words and the accompanying illustrations make this a must-have for schools and local libraries. Most regular people don't read dictionaries front to back, but I must admit this is so engaging that I did exactly that. That said, it also lends itself well to those wishing to dip in and out at their leisure.

There are four pages dedicated to each letter of the alphabet and with some of them being silly sounding they will keep a child's attention. It's a fun way to build their vocabulary. Specifically designed for children who are intrigued by words and those who wish to perhaps get more into reading, this is a superb book. The nifty introduction has some wise words regarding the correct way to use a dictionary and also how to establish the meaning of a word through its composition. Looking at the last letters of a word can often reveal their meaning - e.g. -phile, -ology, -graph, -ism etc. This is the most fun, educational and aesthetically pleasing dictionary you're likely to find. Many thanks to Frances Lincoln Children's Books for an ARC.

This is a super cute, utterly useful, and very interesting dictionary of uncommon words. It is perfect for young readers who enjoy reading. It gives easy to understand definition and helps with pronunciation. It would be the perfect gift for a young child who enjoys reading and learning. Some of the words are pretty rare whilst others are just a little obscure for a child's vocabulary. However, they are all usable and fun in their own way.

And it's such a great book to read. It is full of fantastic illustrations and is so easy to dip in and out of. It's a colourful and fun approach to learning. It won't put young people off learning about the English language and will, hopefully, inspire them in the future.

I'm quite erudite and familiar with a lot of singular or putatively obscure words, but there were still some in here that I found new or otherwise interesting. I imagine this will be a useful book for any logophile - or if they were not one when they started reading this, they will undoubtedly be so by the time they're finished! The book devotes around two pages to each letter of the alphabet providing a total of some 400 words in all. It's illustrated amusingly by Lockhart and compiled by Solomon. Lockhart and Solomon sounds like a law firm doesn't it? Or an office of private investigators!

But I digress! This is definitely a book for anyone who loves words or who is interested in writing, and if you don't love words, you really have no business being a writer!

Jane Solomon has delighted me with this fantastic and beautifully illustrated children’s dictionary.

“The Dictionary of Difficult Words” is brimming with fun, useful, obsolescent, and weird words. Some of my favourites are:

Blatherskite – a person who talks a lot, but says things that are meaningless or foolish.
Clowder – a group of cats.
Sesquipidalian – someone who knows lots of big words and enjoys using them.

I like learning new words, and it’s even better if the word is more obscure. That is why “The Dictionary of Difficult Words” caught my attention, as I wanted to see the additions I could find to broaden my vocabulary.

I loved this book and I learned so much from it. It was well written and an awesome book on which to build a child's vocabulary whilst having a laugh with words at the same time! The illustrations were very quaint and this would be a great book for a parent and child to enjoy together.

I rated this book with five stars but as I try to use emojis other than stars, let's give it a clowder.

😺🙀😼😻😾

I highly recommend this wonderful book!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Quarto Publishing via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A lovely resource for any parent or teacher to have, to help children with their reading. Would recommend to all.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is for incurably curious. Come and join our secret lexicophile club. Some of these words are not that rare ('penultimate' and 'zilch' to give a few examples), they are just difficult to spell or pronounce, and others are hard to explain and tricky to use correctly. Luckily, this dictionary has easy-to-understand definitions and fun illustrations to help both adults and children discover and remember these quirky word gems.
This book would make a great addition to a school library or a family bookshelf.
Thank you to NetGalley and Frances Lincoln Children's Books (Quarto Publishing Group) for the DRC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

I very much wish that<i> The Dictionary of Difficult Words</i> by Jane Solomon was around when I was a child. You see, when I was a kid I just flipped to random pages in the dictionary and wrote down the ones that I found interesting and a part of me feels as though I would have found many more useful ones if I'd had books like this that had already picked out some of the better words to begin with. As an adult, I have to admit, I had a lot of fun reading this book. Frankly, I don't think this book is one that only benefits children. And that, I think, is one of the best things about it.

<i>The Dictionary of Difficult Words</i> is almost just as it sounds, but I feel it might be more accurate to call it the dictionary of interesting and often unused words. Of course, that title might be a bit too lengthy. And while I did know quite a few of these words, I was over the moon thrilled to learn a few new ones whilst reading this. I can say if I had a child of my own, I would probably have already bought myself a copy of this book. It has a lot of merit, I think, in getting children interested in new words in ways that might not have cropped up before. I mean, not every kid in the world is going to be like me and actually pick up one of those ridiculously heavy dictionaries to read on their own free time.

But this one, with the colorful illustrations and the brilliant manner in which the words are presented, could be pretty grabbing for quite a few kids. The truth is that I have a lot of respect and love for this book. At the end of it all, I know I'd really like to see it on a lot of shelves in the future. It will definitely end up on mine someday.

<i>I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

As a teacher of gifted learners, this book was PERFECT! We are always challenged to find them new vocabulary words and encourage them to grow their language abilities. The Dictionary of Difficult Words will be perfect for our word-a-day moments and for those children who just love words. I already ordered it!

This is a great dictionary of interesting words. Some of the words are obscure, but I could see a older elementary student enjoy reading this cover to cover. I definitely want to add this to my classroom.

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel that was able to combine a compelling narrative with excellent illustrations and character arcs.

This book is fun for both young and old.
It would be a great way to get kinds interested in reading and in the English language.
I liked the drawings and think this would be a fun and funny interactive read for kids.

This book is the #1 new release in children's dictionaries on Amazon. The cover itself is a sight to behold and very classy. It is a large hardback with an embossed title and beautiful texture. The illustrations are kid-friendly and fun. Each page displays multiple drawings or collages that adds much interest to the reader. Lists of words from A to Z are brilliantly presented by lexicographer Jane Solomon.

Kids will love and appreciate the science, nature, feelings, emotions and language words that adorn the book. More than 400 difficult words to pronounce and spell are documented with easy to understand meanings that will intrigue both the young and the old alike. I know I bumped into many that I was not familiar with.

This delightful book should not only be in every home but in every classroom and library. It would make a perfect year-end gift to give to a teacher. It truly is a celebration of words and our amazing language. Who knew learning big words could be so much fun? I highly, highly recommend this book.

The dictionary is the most underutilized resource in the English classroom. The Dictionary of Difficult Words, however, is definitely one dictionary that is sure to be picked up countless times with enthusiasm by students from middle grade to high school.

From the first page, I was invested. Not only does it include some pretty interesting words but it also includes some educational notes on suffixes and parts of speech. There were a few words (for example xylophone and knack) that seemed out of place amongst the more difficult and intriguing words that ranged from bailiwick and ennui to schadenfreude and whippersnapper.

Overall, this is one book that I would not only list as a classroom must have but also as a must read for children and adults.

An illustrated dictionary of words that you are likely to come across in books and poems from 100+ years ago that are still popular, science books, mythology, history, the SAT, and other very random places.

This is a fantastic resource not only for the curious kid or adult, but also for those reading classic literature, high schoolers studying for the SAT, those aiming to build their vocabulary, and general word lovers. I consider myself pretty well-read, I like old classics, I’ve taught science, I taught crazy vocabulary to students preparing for the SAT (before the most recent revisions to cut down on the crazy vocabulary), and there were still several words in here I had never come across before. There are several that I now want to start using in conversations and writing (For example, ‘Excuse me while I darkle my phone screen.’ ‘I come from a family of ailurophiles.’ ‘That was a ridiculously gonzo news story.’ ‘I have to renew my teaching license every quinquennium.’) And I like that it is just 100 pages so it isn’t overwhelming. Readers of all ages can benefit from this book whether as a resource to have on hand or something to sit down and read in bits and pieces or straight through. Definitely getting a copy for both our Elementary and Secondary libraries. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Dictionary of Difficult Words. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Although the formatting of the book gives readers the impression that this is a children's book, adults will also benefit from this dictionary of SAT type words. Parents will enjoy learning along with their children, especially as the author has included the parts of speech and the phonetic spelling. Besides including small drawings for many of the words, the author has chosen to highlight some with full page whimsical representations.

The author has included some helpful information at the beginning of the book, giving tips to the successful reading of this book, explanations of parts of speech, and hints about determining the meaning of certain words. The presentation of the words is brilliantly designed to not cause anxiety over learning something that may be considered as difficult. I would definitely recommend The Dictionary of Difficult Words to parents, educators, and children alike.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a fun, colorful resource. It begins with explaining in a fun way what a dictionary is, and then how to use the book (really, any way you wish!), and then gives a brief overview of parts of speech, and figuring out what some words mean without the definition next to it. This presents difficult words in a fun, approachable way that isn't as intimidating as, say, a Webster's dictionary. Illustrations are used throughout to help illustrate some of the words. Each letter of the alphabet has about two pages worth of words and illustrations. Some words seem everyday or common (like void), and others I learned from this book (like uliginous).

The whole thing is wonderful.

This was fun to read. I think that this is a great resource for writers that want to learn a more diverse knowledge of words. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

This was a beautifully illustrated book that would make anyone interested in learning something new. I loved the challenge of trying to describe the words before reading the definition.

Hellooooooo Gorgeous!

I am so glad I purchased ‘The Dictionary of Difficult Words’ by Jane Solomon - even after receiving a free digital copy from NetGalley. This thing is large (as dictionaries should be) and so colorful! It will call out to children from the shelves and no one will need to convince them to open it.

I know a lot of words - seems to be what happens when you’re an avid reader – and there was *at least* one word on every page that I did NOT know! But that’s what makes it fun, right! My boys and I laughed and laughed as we tried to pronounce words that no one in our house knew. (...never hurts to start ‘em young when building a strong vocabulary.)

I also really appreciated that Solomon did such an effective job describing *how* to use a dictionary. Let’s be honest, folks... Most kids in this {digital} day and age basically just ask Alexa what a word means. Heck, all I have to do is touch a word on my Kindle or right-click on my laptop if I don’t know what something means. But she so beautifully explains that there is no wrong way to read this book, what the parts of speech mean, and how prefixes and suffixes can help figure out a word’s meaning. Fantastic idea for those new to these types of concepts...

But don’t feel like this book is too serious and scholarly! Louise Lockhart, illustrator & living alliteration, has created a colorful, silly, and oh so appealing book for the younger set. From animals in arid climates to a redonk zedonk, Lockhart brings the craziest, most unintelligible words to life and helps the reader understand words through her visual clues and illustrations.

High praises for this beauty - Five Stars!

A big Thank You to NetGalley and Francis Lincoln/Quarto Publishing for this digital copy to read & review!

For the most part - I absolutely adored this book! The illustrations are amazing, creative and a lot of fun. The words chosen for this dictionary are inspiring. You can open the book at a random page, read just one word and be inspired to create a thousand things or simply dream about the word.

The definitions however... they need some work. Some word I still did not know even after reading the definition...

The Dictionary of Difficult Words by Jane Solomon teaches young logophiles how to work out what new words mean and how to say them. There are 400 fun words to improve vocabulary. Each has a pronunciation and definition. Many of the words have cute little illustrations, and some get larger extra illustrations that further explain the definition. These are bubbled in colour. Some of my fave included bellwether, Clowder, defenestrate, frabjous, kakistocracy, petrichor, and thigmotropism. I was quite impressed with the breadth of the words collected here! My cubs also read this and most enjoyed it. Others are less interested in language. Haha.

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is actually relevant to a project I want to do in the library in the coming school year. Definitely need to see about getting a copy!

First of all, this book is lavishly illustrated. I LOVE good illustrations, and you can expect a full page spread for each letter of the alphabet. It's such a delightful and creative dictionary!

Now, it doesn't have every word ever. It's not that kind of dictionary. Rather, it introduces kids to a handful of fancier words, ones that they can use in everyday conversations. Definitions are concise and easy to understand, and usually provide an example of how to use the word. My only complaint is that there aren't more words, but hey that could be a whole 'nother book!

The Dictionary of Difficult Words: With More Than 400 Perplexing Words to Test your Wits! was written by Jane Solomon and illustrated by Louise Lockhart. ​What is a bumbershoot? Or a moonbow? And what does it mean when someone absquatulates? Find out all this and more in the Dictionary of Difficult Words. Test your knowledge with more than 400 words to amaze, confuse, and inspire budding wordsmiths (and adults). All of the words featured in this book are difficult to spell, hard to say, and their meanings are obscure to most children (and most adults)! Written with simple, easy-to-understand definitions by lexicographer Jane Solomon, this dictionary celebrates the beauty of the English language for family trivia time spent around the printed page.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a fun, educational, and useful book for all ages. I love that the book starts off explaining the various ways readers can explore and enjoy the book. In the beginning there are also great explanations about kinds of words and how to decode intimidating words and how to pronounce them. These are things that will always be helpful, even if I know I mentally mispronounce things all the time- especially if I have only read them and never heard them spoken. I love the words that were chosen for this book. Some are adjectives and adverbs that are used sparingly, but are just great words. Some are just fun to say, like bumbershoot (which I proudly already knew the definition for). I learned a few new words, and am trying to figure out how to use bildungsroman instead of coming of age tale in a book review without sounding pretentious. The artwork is fun and adds extra layers of understanding, fun, and style to the book.

The Dictionary of Difficult Words is a great book to have in home, school, and public libraries. It can help teach the use and functionality of dictionaries, and get readers to broaden their personal vocabulary in fun ways. This book is a win all around, and I think I need to add it to my personal collection.

I received this e-book ARC of The Dictionary of Difficult Words through Net Galley from Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books in exchange for a truthful review.

This book is FRABJOUS! I think the ARC I received included only about half of the pages, but I would definitely seek out this book for purchase. The layout was fun and engaging with pronunciations and interesting graphics accompanying the difficult words.

I also enjoyed the end notes which explained the use/history of THEY as a singular pronoun and also the discussion on how ALL words are real.

I will definitely be buying this book for my kiddos. Don't let the title fool you! It's laid out very nicely and makes learning very interesting. Get this book for your kiddos! I highly recommend it!

I have always loved reading and browsing libraries and encyclopedias so when I saw this book on NetGalley, requesting it was a no-brainer.

This particular dictionary is aimed at children, teens and up. As a well-read adult, I found many of the words not actually difficult. But, happily for me, there were many words new to me and some of them were a challenge. For some children, many of these words would be difficult to know the meaning, or to pronounce, or to spell. Solomon provides easy to read pronunciations for each word and simple, clear definitions. Lockhart provides illustrations for many of the words and they are whimsical yet explanatory. They add both to the overall look of the book and to the definitions.

"The Dictionary of Difficult Words" is fun, entertaining, and educational. It's a good conversation starter and would be good for all sorts of word games. It's definitely a keeper.

4★
“SESQUIPEDALIAN
If someone is sesquipedalian, they know a lot of big words and they love using them.”

This is fun and useful and a good conversation or game starter. You will no doubt find a word you didn’t know, but I will say that a few I didn’t know weren’t in Lexico, the Oxford Dictionary online, so I don’t feel so bad! I found them elsewhere as obsolete.

Lots of simple words make the list. Here’s what a whole double page looks like. This one is about how words work.
[My Goodreads review shows an illustration.]

The first page explains some parts of speech.
[My Goodreads review shows an illustration.]

The next one explains how to figure out meanings.
[My Goodreads review shows an illustration.]

Mostly they are good simple definitions and/or explanations of the word along with illustrations for many. I disagree with a few definitions, but really, who am I to complain?

And I found a few terrific ones I can’t wait to use!

KAKISTOCRACY – a government ruled by the worst people.” It kind of rhymes with aristocracy.

How about that for a great word, eh? I expect to see it in political headlines any day now.

One of my favourite punctuation marks makes the list.

Interrobang ‽. It’s a combination of a question mark and an exclamation point that you use when you combine excitement with a question, like “Did I really win the lottery?!” I usually write it like that, one after the other, but there is html code for it. If you ever need it here, without spaces, it’s & # 8 2 5 3

I was also unaware there is such a thing as the study of animals that people think might not be real (unicorns, mermaids, Nessie). That’s cryptozoology. They’ve been a part of so many stories forever that it seems nobody can say definitively that they aren’t or weren’t ever real. I’d just recommend you don’t try to hit anyone up for a grant to study them. But who knows‽

[My Goodreads review shows an illustration.]

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing for the digital preview copy from which I’ve selected a few of the many illustrations.