Posted by While some kids are collecting stamps or rocks, young Jerome loves to collect words. Words like hope, wonder, and torrential. When he hears one he likes, he writes it down and pastes it into one of his many scrapbooks. He soon learns he can string those words together and make poems or songs. But maybe the best way to use words is to share them with the world.
I loved the illustrations in this book. They were full of pops of color and made the story even more interesting to read because there were lots of words on almost every page. I was fond the sweet ending. I don’t want to say much, but it’s a beautiful moment. This book was really nostalgic as well because it reminded me of when I was learning words. Each syllable and sound was like music to my ears.
Creativity is a big theme in this book. Jerome learns to make things with words, just like kids can learn to make things with paint or express themselves with cooking. Jerome was also not afraid to show what he made with others. That is something children also need to learn early on in life. Another book that exemplifies this is What Do You Do With An Idea?, which Tori Y. recently reviewed.
Little kids morph their personality through role models. Jerome is an example of a positive person they can take away from. Maybe they will be inspired by his hobby of collecting, or they will want to learn words just like Jerome. The main character also happens to be Black, yet the story isn’t about his race. The author, Peter H. Reynolds, might have done this so that young Black boys could see themselves in this story.
The Word Collector is a pretty short and easy book, so young elementary-age youth will enjoy it. This book also reminded me of The Snowy Day.
Every time I read this book it warms my heart. Four out of four roses!
Elena Reads and Reviews 