The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
By Kelly Hartman
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bryant, Jen. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2014 ISBN 9780802853851
PLOT SUMMARY
The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus outlines the true story of shy and introverted Peter Mark Roget. Beginning with the death of his father, Roget used lists to make sense of the world. His family moved often, but as a young boy one thing that didn't change was his ability to classify and categorize his understanding of concepts like the elements, weather, and gardening. His mother worried about his seclusion with his lists, but even as a young man he traveled the world soaking up as much knowledge as he could, and always organizing his thoughts in a book. Later he became a doctor, but with every free moment he continued to write a book that would help him, and eventually others, to find the "just right" word to communicate to the world. This "treasure house" book is used all over the world to this day.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
From the labeling of the credits on the title page to the bibliographical references at the end of the book, the reader rests assured that The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus is a true story about Roget's life and his contribution to our society. The author and illustrator use creativity to engage the reader without sacrificing the accuracy of the story begging to be told. Both author and illustrator's notes included in The Right Word prove the research required to write the historical details of Roget's life. The creators are careful to provide the readers with their sources, bibliographical references, and even the scanned first page of Roget's original work; with permission granted, of course. The illustrator, Melissa Sweet, explains that even the "back endpapers list Roget's thousand words with an abbreviated Plan of Classification." The reader knows that Bryant and Sweet did their homework.
For the reader familiar with a modern thesaurus, it may come as a shock that Roget did not categorize his words alphabetically. To assist readers in understanding the organization of Roget's ideas, Bryant and Sweet choose a similar layout where specific words from the text are numbered with a list of synonyms just like the original "treasure house". To clearly sequence and explain each page of written text, the collage of cut-out illustrations serve as a reference aid of sorts; charts, labels, and numbered lists. The Right Word includes a List of Principal Events serving as a timeline for Roget's life and paralleled world affairs.
There is a definite inviting design and lively style found within the covers of The Right Word. Sweet's illustrations complement Bryant's text. The reader can tell that both author and illustrator were enthusiastic contributors in this project. Their passion ignites the reader to learn more about this man who made sense of his world by writing lists. After reading The Right Word, readers will never look at a thesaurus as an ordinary-normal, usual, humdrum- tool again.
AWARD AND REVIEW EXCERPTS
2015 Caldecott Honor Book
2015 Sibert Medal Winner
"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." Booklist Starred Review
CONNECTIONS
Visit Jen Bryant's website: www.jenbryant.com
Illustrator Study
Visit Melissa Sweet's website: www.melissasweet.net
Gather More Books by This Duo
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams 978-0802853028
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin 978-0375867125
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