Words

Words is a story of a child who can’t read “because the words dance around and won’t stay still”. This tender and inspiring tale challenges the cultural assumption that every child can access written language. As many teachers, librarians, and parents know, a number of children have difficulty reading. With understanding and empathy, the teacher-librarian in Words encourages the child protagonist to learn how to read, and eventually to write her own stories.

“Now, she found that when you make words dance they sing, they flow in currents of sound, they are water tumbling over rocks and great cliffs, they are air rushing through trees.”

In lyrical prose, rich in imagery, Words revels in the discovery of written language. Ruth Campbell’s luminous illustrations evoke a child’s view of the world, filled with sensory delight and wonder.