Nonfiction-The Right Word

A. Bibliography:
Bryant, Jen. (2014). The Right Word. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780802853851.

B. Plot Summary:
Jen Bryant writes about the life of Peter Mark Roget, the creator of Roget's Thesaurus.  When you pick up the book, you think, "How interested can I get about this book?  The guy who made a book about words?"  Bryant provides a beautifully written picture book biography.  The great thing about this book is that it describes a man who had a different learning style and personality than others around him.  He was quiet and lost his father at a young age, which started his love for lists.  Everything that he learned was put into a list. At the age of eight, he started writing his own book, Peter, Mark, Roget. His Book., in which he lists Latin words and English meanings from his tutor.  His lists were a way for him to remember what he learned.  

Over the years, Roget continued to write and add to his collection of words.  His purpose was that he wanted a tool to help him always find "The Right Word".  A shy doctor, he was highly respected and admired by many scholars.  Roget was a man of many talents: author, inventor, doctor and tutor, to name a few.  His Thesaurus, which means 'treasure house' in Greek is used by millions all over the world.

C. Critical Analysis:
Wow!  I was totally captivated by this book and its illustrations.  Who knew that a simple man who created the thesaurus would provide the reader with entertainment, curiosity and inspiration? The Right Word won the 2015 Sibert Medal Winner for recognition of great nonfiction writing.  It also was a 2015 Caldecott Honor Book.  In Texas, it was one of the Bluebonnet nominees in 2015-16.  Written by Jen Bryant, a recipient of the Orbis Pictus Award, The Right Word's message is conveyed beautifully:  Be original and follow your passion.  The book describes a young man with a unique learning style: making lists.  This idea that we all learn differently is important to bring into our class discussions, so students know that it is okay to be different.  Embrace your uniqueness.

Bryant chose to present her learning of Peter Mark Roget in a picture book biography.  It doesn't look like your typical nonfiction or biography.  This book reads like a story, which will draw both children and adults in.  It does not feature all of the traditional nonfiction or biography text features.  There are no bold words, glossary, table of contents, etc.  But there are some important text features that add to the book: an Author's and Illustrator's Note, as well as a non detailed timeline at the beginning.  

The collage artwork by Melissa Sweet are detailed, elaborate and intricate (I used Roget's Thesaurus for that 😊). Sweet uses a combination of watercolor, drawings, and paper cutouts of maps, words, animals from old newspapers, book covers and imagery from Roget's Bridgewater Treatise, his book on plants and animals.  The reader becomes captivated by the minute details in each page.  I loved looking at all of the word cutouts and illustrations on each page.  The reader is pleasantly surprised at the end of the book by being able to see an actual page from his original word book created in 1805.  The inside back cover of the book features Roget's 1,000 word list, as featured in his book Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases.  How interesting to see all of his ideas!

D. Review Excerpts:
**Booklist states "In brilliant pages teeming with enthusiasm for language and learning, Bryant and Sweet joyfully celebrate curiosity, the love of knowledge, and the power of words."
**School Library Journal states, "Those who have relied upon a thesaurus . . . will gain a greater appreciation for the reference tool in this beautifully designed picture book biography of its creator, Peter Roget. Expertly researched and well written, Bryant’s narrative not only details the creation of the thesaurus; it also conveys a sense of Roget the man. . . . An excellent illustrated biography.”

E. Connections:

This is a magical book to get students interested in the purpose of a thesaurus.  I would read this to students before introducing a thesaurus in the classroom.  Students can use a thesaurus to find synonyms or antonyms of commonly used words.  You can also play games with the thesaurus: Guess My Title?  Students use a thesaurus to come up with a new title for a popular book.  Classmates will have to guess what the original title is.  Ex: The Extremely Ravenous Larva (The Very Hungry Caterpillar).  Here are some great reads related to this book:
Noah Webster and His Words by Jeri Ferris
Peter Mark Roget: The Word and the Man by D.L Emblen
The Man Who Made Lists by Joshua Kendall.