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The Very Inappropriate Word
Michael loves interesting words (hard words like ELASTIC, little words like VAST, and big words like SMITHEREENS) and is always on the lookout for words to collect. Then one day, he picks up a new word. A bad word. An inappropriate word. At least, that’s what his friend says. But Michael kind of likes the word. He thinks he might try it out.
At school.
Bad idea.
At school.
Bad idea.
36 pages, Hardcover
First published August 20, 2013
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September 11, 2013I like this book acknowledges that being a attracted to swear words can come from a love of language.
October 4, 2013
Richie's Picks: THE VERY INAPPROPRIATE WORD by Jim Tobin and Dave Coverly, ill., Henry Holt, August 2013, 40p., ISBN: 978-0-8050-9474-9
"To fight over something is absurd
So, for pete's sake, use a word"
-- Red Grammar
Richie picks ten great classic tunes that use a word (the F- word):
The Fish Cheer by Country Joe and the Fish
We Can Be Together by Jefferson Airplane
Mother People by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
Wharf Rat by The Grateful Dead
Working Class Hero by John Lennon
Who Are You by The Who
Show Biz Kids by Steely Dan
Let's Pretend We're Married by Prince
You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette
Untouchable Face by Ani Difranco
The story begins: "Michael collected words."
We are then treated to a full page of the sort of words Michael collects. It is pretty funny. Here are a few I especially liked:
"medley (med-lee)
1. noun - a piece of music that combines passages from different sources
2. noun - a variety of vegetables mixed together
3. noun - a piece of music about a variety of vegetables mixed together"
"mermaid (mur - mayd)
1. noun - a mythical sea creature with the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a woman; tends to sing well in Disney movies, even underwater"
"metal (meh - tuhl)
1. noun - a material that is generally hard and shiny, such as gold and silver
2. adjective - a type of music, usually played very loudly by screaming men dressed in black who have big hair"
"One morning on the bus, Michael picked up a word he had never heard before."
The word Michael picks up from another boy on the bus is illustrated by a series of symbols as are traditionally employed when we don't want to expressly write what the word really is. But the kid on the bus who uses that word reminds me of Bruce Olsen, so I'm figuring that the kid utters the F- word. And so, I'm going to tell you about Bruce Olsen and the F- word:
It was early in the fall of 1964. Today we would call Grace L. Hubbs School a magnet school. My mom had enrolled us in a brand-new program in that newly-constructed school, a program where you went to school six more weeks than normal kids and had six weeks less summer vacation than normal kids. The students came from all corners of a very large district, so we mostly didn't know one another. One of the kids I didn't know was Bruce Olsen. He was blond, blocky, swaggering, and a lot taller than me. I don't know who said or did what to him that day at recess, but Bruce Olsen turned red, raised his middle finger, and hollered "F- you!" to one of those other kids I didn't yet know.
I was impressed. There was clearly power in that word. And that was the day -- 49 years ago -- when I first met the F- word.
Anyway, back to the book. It's a funny thing: Michael finds that once you hear a word, it seems to reappear.
"That afternoon, Michael heard the word at the park and on the radio and even in the basement, where his mom was trying to fix the toilet.
"'Dear!' said his dad. 'Don't you think that's an inappropriate word?'
"Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there was something about it that he kind of liked."
So he starts spreading it around until lots of classmates are using it, and the teacher then asks where they picked up that word and they all finger Michael.
Now, I have to go back to my recollections of Grace L. Hubbs. A couple of years after Bruce Olsen turned me onto the F- word, Anthony Imbesi used it and my sixth grade teacher did something to him involving soap and his mouth that would probably get him fired these days. (That teacher was one crazy F- er.)
In sharp contrast, Michael's teacher has him go to the library after school and find her a whole pile of new spelling words. This causes Michael to lose track of the very inappropriate word (which is then picked up by a neighborhood dog).
This is a very fun and valuable book. I'd be sharing it with third and fourth grade classes.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"To fight over something is absurd
So, for pete's sake, use a word"
-- Red Grammar
Richie picks ten great classic tunes that use a word (the F- word):
The Fish Cheer by Country Joe and the Fish
We Can Be Together by Jefferson Airplane
Mother People by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention
Wharf Rat by The Grateful Dead
Working Class Hero by John Lennon
Who Are You by The Who
Show Biz Kids by Steely Dan
Let's Pretend We're Married by Prince
You Oughta Know by Alanis Morissette
Untouchable Face by Ani Difranco
The story begins: "Michael collected words."
We are then treated to a full page of the sort of words Michael collects. It is pretty funny. Here are a few I especially liked:
"medley (med-lee)
1. noun - a piece of music that combines passages from different sources
2. noun - a variety of vegetables mixed together
3. noun - a piece of music about a variety of vegetables mixed together"
"mermaid (mur - mayd)
1. noun - a mythical sea creature with the lower body of a fish and the upper body of a woman; tends to sing well in Disney movies, even underwater"
"metal (meh - tuhl)
1. noun - a material that is generally hard and shiny, such as gold and silver
2. adjective - a type of music, usually played very loudly by screaming men dressed in black who have big hair"
"One morning on the bus, Michael picked up a word he had never heard before."
The word Michael picks up from another boy on the bus is illustrated by a series of symbols as are traditionally employed when we don't want to expressly write what the word really is. But the kid on the bus who uses that word reminds me of Bruce Olsen, so I'm figuring that the kid utters the F- word. And so, I'm going to tell you about Bruce Olsen and the F- word:
It was early in the fall of 1964. Today we would call Grace L. Hubbs School a magnet school. My mom had enrolled us in a brand-new program in that newly-constructed school, a program where you went to school six more weeks than normal kids and had six weeks less summer vacation than normal kids. The students came from all corners of a very large district, so we mostly didn't know one another. One of the kids I didn't know was Bruce Olsen. He was blond, blocky, swaggering, and a lot taller than me. I don't know who said or did what to him that day at recess, but Bruce Olsen turned red, raised his middle finger, and hollered "F- you!" to one of those other kids I didn't yet know.
I was impressed. There was clearly power in that word. And that was the day -- 49 years ago -- when I first met the F- word.
Anyway, back to the book. It's a funny thing: Michael finds that once you hear a word, it seems to reappear.
"That afternoon, Michael heard the word at the park and on the radio and even in the basement, where his mom was trying to fix the toilet.
"'Dear!' said his dad. 'Don't you think that's an inappropriate word?'
"Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there was something about it that he kind of liked."
So he starts spreading it around until lots of classmates are using it, and the teacher then asks where they picked up that word and they all finger Michael.
Now, I have to go back to my recollections of Grace L. Hubbs. A couple of years after Bruce Olsen turned me onto the F- word, Anthony Imbesi used it and my sixth grade teacher did something to him involving soap and his mouth that would probably get him fired these days. (That teacher was one crazy F- er.)
In sharp contrast, Michael's teacher has him go to the library after school and find her a whole pile of new spelling words. This causes Michael to lose track of the very inappropriate word (which is then picked up by a neighborhood dog).
This is a very fun and valuable book. I'd be sharing it with third and fourth grade classes.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
https://www.facebook.com/richie.parti...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
October 13, 2013
Word-lover Michael collects interesting words such as vast and elastic, but one day, he hears a word that others consider inappropriate and becomes fascinated by it. After sharing it with some classmates and using it on the playground, he gets in trouble. His wise teacher doesn't make a big deal about it, though, and sets him to finding new words for the spelling test. He becomes so intrigued by these new words such as chortle, aerodynamic, and kindling that he forgets about the other one. Impressionable young readers are likely to enjoy this one, filled as it is with ink and watercolor illustrations that provide a cartoonish effect to the story. Older readers and teachers may enjoy pondering why such a big deal is made about words that others deem inappropriate as well as considering how making a word taboo only makes some individuals want to use it even more.
October 28, 2014
So clever.
February 23, 2015
Personal Response - This book was kind of pleasurable because it was written more for humor than for true lessons, although I believe a lesson can come from this work. The illustrations by Dave Coverly were very colorful and aesthetically pleasing. I really enjoyed how each word, when depicted in an illustration, it took the form of the word's meaning.
Purposes:
-Independent Reading for second grade
-This book is more of a humor/entertainment book, so any student could read it to themselves during independent reading.
-This can also be used for a student who may have a discipline issue with using inappropriate speech, whom may need to read it to understand that sometimes words are not to be used and we can exchange one bad word for a ton of good words.
-Read-aloud for second-grade for enrichment
-This story is one that can be used for a learning purpose of social speech.
-This story can be used to teach a classroom of students that it is crucial to build a vocabulary and words to keep for themselves.
-There are also some larger words within this text that could be used to ask what their meanings mean by the teacher. For example, the words "inappropriate," "nimbus," "quarrel," and "vast."
-This story can be used to express at the beginning of the year that we will learn lots of big words this year and that it is important to keep those words for our own personal storage but not to use or hold on to bad words we hear elsewhere.
Purposes:
-Independent Reading for second grade
-This book is more of a humor/entertainment book, so any student could read it to themselves during independent reading.
-This can also be used for a student who may have a discipline issue with using inappropriate speech, whom may need to read it to understand that sometimes words are not to be used and we can exchange one bad word for a ton of good words.
-Read-aloud for second-grade for enrichment
-This story is one that can be used for a learning purpose of social speech.
-This story can be used to teach a classroom of students that it is crucial to build a vocabulary and words to keep for themselves.
-There are also some larger words within this text that could be used to ask what their meanings mean by the teacher. For example, the words "inappropriate," "nimbus," "quarrel," and "vast."
-This story can be used to express at the beginning of the year that we will learn lots of big words this year and that it is important to keep those words for our own personal storage but not to use or hold on to bad words we hear elsewhere.
October 10, 2013
Michael collects words. He sees how a word somehow doesn't fit - (e.g., the word is small but describes something large). One days he picks up a very inappropriate word. While there are consequences but his teacher honors his love of words.
This book is the perfect introduction for a parent-child discussion about inappropriate words (a situation that almost every parent will face!) Teachers will also enjoy this book as it celebrates language. Teachers, too, will appreciate the opening it provides to classroom rules about language. Most importantly, kids will enjoy this book. They will identify with Michael's temptation: "Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there as also something about it that he kind of liked." Kids (and adults) know the viral nature of trouble. There is also the sense that this kind of mistake is temporary and that almost everyone makes it. It's fabulous to find a book that discusses a common life experience in a humorous, kind manner!
This book is the perfect introduction for a parent-child discussion about inappropriate words (a situation that almost every parent will face!) Teachers will also enjoy this book as it celebrates language. Teachers, too, will appreciate the opening it provides to classroom rules about language. Most importantly, kids will enjoy this book. They will identify with Michael's temptation: "Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there as also something about it that he kind of liked." Kids (and adults) know the viral nature of trouble. There is also the sense that this kind of mistake is temporary and that almost everyone makes it. It's fabulous to find a book that discusses a common life experience in a humorous, kind manner!
August 11, 2017
I liked the concept of this book, the story line & the illustrations!
The story is how the protagonist, Micheal loves learning new vocabulary, until one day he picks up an inappropriate word, (which is a bad word). Now, he just cannot forget it. He keeps repeating it. The only solution, his teacher thought, was to engage him in learning more new words, so that he forgets THAT word altogether. This strategy works out in the end. He does forgets it.
Now, my concern is I do like this idea of making a student forget one thing & engaging him in some other useful activity but the problem is not every child is same. This strategy will not work on every other kid, I guess. Some students are very clever. No matter how hard you try, they do not let go of their one habit & do not form another new one so easily. So, it might not be applicable to everyone. Otherwise, the idea is quite interesting to try..
This is the link to the book (It's not very clear but still readable).. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbKiY...
The story is how the protagonist, Micheal loves learning new vocabulary, until one day he picks up an inappropriate word, (which is a bad word). Now, he just cannot forget it. He keeps repeating it. The only solution, his teacher thought, was to engage him in learning more new words, so that he forgets THAT word altogether. This strategy works out in the end. He does forgets it.
Now, my concern is I do like this idea of making a student forget one thing & engaging him in some other useful activity but the problem is not every child is same. This strategy will not work on every other kid, I guess. Some students are very clever. No matter how hard you try, they do not let go of their one habit & do not form another new one so easily. So, it might not be applicable to everyone. Otherwise, the idea is quite interesting to try..
This is the link to the book (It's not very clear but still readable).. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbKiY...
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September 25, 2013This book is SO GOOD. The young man collects favorite words like 'kerfuffle' and 'spelunking.' He puts them (in their speech bubbles or with little sort of onomatopoeic drawings (can you have visual onomatopoeia? I bet you know what I mean anyway) in his pockets or under his bed to savor later. One day he hears a WORD on the bus. It's jaggedy and crazy looking, and he doesn't like it but it fascinates him none the less. He senses that it's powerful! He puts it in his back pocket and later on at school he takes it back out again. What happens?
This book is never preachy, just an honest (and amazingly creative and yet true to life) way of illustrating the power of language.
This book is never preachy, just an honest (and amazingly creative and yet true to life) way of illustrating the power of language.
August 31, 2013
A wonderful book about words, both appropriate AND inappropriate! Michael loves words and collects them everywhere he goes. One day he discovers a "bad" word and after hearing it repeated by various people, he decides to share it with friends at school. Fortunately, he has a wise teacher who knows just how to remedy this situation. A great picture book for word lovers!
February 10, 2017
This was a really creative story with good art.
What I loved most was how the small children in the reading group would share their stories of how parents would teach them about what was a “bad” word.
Because it encouraged a conversation and a sharing of stories, I say this was a great book.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
What I loved most was how the small children in the reading group would share their stories of how parents would teach them about what was a “bad” word.
Because it encouraged a conversation and a sharing of stories, I say this was a great book.
Rating 5 out of 5
Read@Book
September 11, 2013
I enjoyed the idea that there were many other interesting words and they all are different. However there was not statement that the word shouldn't be used. Disappointing.
December 29, 2016
I liked that it was all about words and how they felt and sounded but the ending was lacking something.
May 3, 2018
Clever book about the contagious power of "bad" words, but if I never read another book about a kid collecting words it'll be too soon.
January 20, 2024
Don't miss the endpapers (and note that they are different). I appreciate the blond mother fixing the toilet, and Black father admonishing her for saying the very inappropriate word. More importantly, it's a funny story. With a satisfying and very fitting solution.
Btw, fans of concrete poetry, and vice-versa, will enjoy this book. And any fan of word-play. It's not a didactic moral tale but just a joy to read.
Btw, fans of concrete poetry, and vice-versa, will enjoy this book. And any fan of word-play. It's not a didactic moral tale but just a joy to read.
November 12, 2022
I knew I would like it and not just because of the title but that did pull me in! The selection of words offered in this books would be good for people who even feel they are beyond picture books but, do we really ever get beyond picture books. I know I have not!
June 26, 2018
Well, "@#*^!" to you, too!
A boy named Michael "collects" words. One day, he hears a word that he has never heard before. Of course, given that this is a children's book, it's represented by a string of symbols (also referred to as a grawlix) and it's never actually said what the word is. Everybody just tells him it's inappropriate. He hears it around in different places. Even his mom says it, and his father says it's an inappropriate word. Then he says it out loud at school and the other kids learn it from him. The teacher has him come after school and help her find some new words to use for spelling words, and then he has so many other words that he forgets about the inappropriate one.
It's just kind of dumb. It's not bad; it's just not helpful. It doesn't even explain why a word might be inappropriate. It does a lot of discussing the other vocabulary words in the book, like "smithereens" and "egghead," but it doesn't explain why somebody might use an inappropriate word, or why all these other people are hearing it. He hears it at the park and "on the radio." It says, "Michael could see that there was something kind of bad about it. But there was also something about it that he kind of liked." The fact that it's taboo is what makes him repeat it to his friends and teach it to other people. From the context, I'm guessing that it is a swear word, probably the "D-word" given that he hears it on the radio, because the first time he hears it there's a boy looking at a report card who says it, and throughout the book people who say it are always upset. So it's a curse word. Why don't they go over some options of things you can say instead? I think it's really interesting to talk about words that used to be inappropriate but aren't anymore, or other kind of curses that aren't "inappropriate." What do you say when you get a bad grade on your report card or you hurt yourself? "Darn"? "Ouch"? Those don't really have the punch of some other words, and there are definitely other words out there that you can say that aren't inappropriate. You can say, "This infuriates me."
Personally, I'm not supportive of censoring oneself in casual situations. I try to censor myself in my reviews so that they're child- and work-friendly, but I think it's important to talk about "inappropriate" words and not just mention that they exist and act like filling up your brain with other things will make them fall out or something, because that doesn't happen. That's not how the world works. My kids are gonna pick up swear words. They just are, and they can't escape them. They need to understand why it is that people don't like them, even if it's hard to explain. You can say, "Some people don't like these words, and here are some things you could say," rather than just, "Hey, there are lots of other words, why don't we use some of them?" Getting an F on your report card is not a reasonable time to just yell, "Egghead!"
Message: Use complicated words; don't use "inappropriate" ones.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
A boy named Michael "collects" words. One day, he hears a word that he has never heard before. Of course, given that this is a children's book, it's represented by a string of symbols (also referred to as a grawlix) and it's never actually said what the word is. Everybody just tells him it's inappropriate. He hears it around in different places. Even his mom says it, and his father says it's an inappropriate word. Then he says it out loud at school and the other kids learn it from him. The teacher has him come after school and help her find some new words to use for spelling words, and then he has so many other words that he forgets about the inappropriate one.
It's just kind of dumb. It's not bad; it's just not helpful. It doesn't even explain why a word might be inappropriate. It does a lot of discussing the other vocabulary words in the book, like "smithereens" and "egghead," but it doesn't explain why somebody might use an inappropriate word, or why all these other people are hearing it. He hears it at the park and "on the radio." It says, "Michael could see that there was something kind of bad about it. But there was also something about it that he kind of liked." The fact that it's taboo is what makes him repeat it to his friends and teach it to other people. From the context, I'm guessing that it is a swear word, probably the "D-word" given that he hears it on the radio, because the first time he hears it there's a boy looking at a report card who says it, and throughout the book people who say it are always upset. So it's a curse word. Why don't they go over some options of things you can say instead? I think it's really interesting to talk about words that used to be inappropriate but aren't anymore, or other kind of curses that aren't "inappropriate." What do you say when you get a bad grade on your report card or you hurt yourself? "Darn"? "Ouch"? Those don't really have the punch of some other words, and there are definitely other words out there that you can say that aren't inappropriate. You can say, "This infuriates me."
Personally, I'm not supportive of censoring oneself in casual situations. I try to censor myself in my reviews so that they're child- and work-friendly, but I think it's important to talk about "inappropriate" words and not just mention that they exist and act like filling up your brain with other things will make them fall out or something, because that doesn't happen. That's not how the world works. My kids are gonna pick up swear words. They just are, and they can't escape them. They need to understand why it is that people don't like them, even if it's hard to explain. You can say, "Some people don't like these words, and here are some things you could say," rather than just, "Hey, there are lots of other words, why don't we use some of them?" Getting an F on your report card is not a reasonable time to just yell, "Egghead!"
Message: Use complicated words; don't use "inappropriate" ones.
For more children's book reviews, see my website at http://www.drttmk.com.
May 8, 2014
Michael loves words. "He picked up new words at practice and downtown and even in school. where Mrs. Dixon gave the kids one new spelling word every day." He collects them, savours them and digests them. He is a true word-freak. (and I say that in the kindest sense of the word.) One day Michael bumps into a word that is "inappropriate', and "Michael could see there was something kind of bad about it. But there was also something about it that he kind of liked." He takes the word, tucks it in his brain and decides to pull it out and use it at school of all places to test the waters of its impact. All words have power and this one certainly packed a punch. Mrs. Dixon, true to her teacher training and skills uses this as a teachable moment and encourages Michael in his vocabulary building by substituting inappropriate words for ones more interesting and acceptable to those around him.
The illustrations are cartoon -like and full of detail and expression. Michael's favourite words are encased in literal replicas of the true meaning of the words themselves. For example the word "fling" resembles a Frisbee and the word "squid" is written on a card the shape of a squid. This makes the words fun to pronounce and easier to identify if the word is an unknown. I really liked that concept.
Rather than be shocked at the very idea of an inappropriate word escaping from our child's lips may we all be like dear Mrs. Dixon who is full of wisdom and diplomacy. May we rise to occasion of making this a teachable moment when we recognize and acknowledge that such words do indeed exist but that we as responsible and respectful human beings must resist the temptation of pulling those words out of our vocabulary arsenal and instead substitute those improper words with others of a much more noble and dignified meaning making the world a much more enjoyable place to live.
The illustrations are cartoon -like and full of detail and expression. Michael's favourite words are encased in literal replicas of the true meaning of the words themselves. For example the word "fling" resembles a Frisbee and the word "squid" is written on a card the shape of a squid. This makes the words fun to pronounce and easier to identify if the word is an unknown. I really liked that concept.
Rather than be shocked at the very idea of an inappropriate word escaping from our child's lips may we all be like dear Mrs. Dixon who is full of wisdom and diplomacy. May we rise to occasion of making this a teachable moment when we recognize and acknowledge that such words do indeed exist but that we as responsible and respectful human beings must resist the temptation of pulling those words out of our vocabulary arsenal and instead substitute those improper words with others of a much more noble and dignified meaning making the world a much more enjoyable place to live.
January 23, 2019
The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin
Illustrated by Dave Coverly
The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, illustrated by Dave Coverly is about a boy named Michael who has an interest in “collecting words.” Michael learns new words any time any place. Some of his new words were big words, small words, and even slang words. One day Michael overheard an inappropriate word on the bus ride to school and was warned by his sister that the word he knows was a bad one. At recess, Michael decided to tell his friends about the new word, which made everyone want to say it because it is a “bad” word. Michael gets into trouble with his teacher and she makes him help her find some new spelling words. He helps and ends up finding a ton of new words, forgetting about the inappropriate word he once knew.
The themes of The Very Inappropriate Word are vocabulary and swearing. Michael is a young boy who is indulging in vocabulary and one day he stumbles across a bad vocabulary word. He knows that the word is bad so he replaces the bad word with better words.
The way Jim Tobin went about “bad word” phase that every parent goes through in a humorous way was enjoyable to read. I also could appreciate how each vocabulary word had an image of what it was with it. Some of the words in the book had me confused, but the illustrator did an excellent job of adding context clues to what the word may be about and how it might be used.
I would recommend this book to teachers and parents trying to encourage children to not use bad words and to learn new vocabulary to replace the bad words. I also think it could give children a way new way to learn new, more complex vocabulary. Using pictures instead of textbook definitions could help those visual learners.
Illustrated by Dave Coverly
The Very Inappropriate Word by Jim Tobin, illustrated by Dave Coverly is about a boy named Michael who has an interest in “collecting words.” Michael learns new words any time any place. Some of his new words were big words, small words, and even slang words. One day Michael overheard an inappropriate word on the bus ride to school and was warned by his sister that the word he knows was a bad one. At recess, Michael decided to tell his friends about the new word, which made everyone want to say it because it is a “bad” word. Michael gets into trouble with his teacher and she makes him help her find some new spelling words. He helps and ends up finding a ton of new words, forgetting about the inappropriate word he once knew.
The themes of The Very Inappropriate Word are vocabulary and swearing. Michael is a young boy who is indulging in vocabulary and one day he stumbles across a bad vocabulary word. He knows that the word is bad so he replaces the bad word with better words.
The way Jim Tobin went about “bad word” phase that every parent goes through in a humorous way was enjoyable to read. I also could appreciate how each vocabulary word had an image of what it was with it. Some of the words in the book had me confused, but the illustrator did an excellent job of adding context clues to what the word may be about and how it might be used.
I would recommend this book to teachers and parents trying to encourage children to not use bad words and to learn new vocabulary to replace the bad words. I also think it could give children a way new way to learn new, more complex vocabulary. Using pictures instead of textbook definitions could help those visual learners.
May 22, 2015
The Very Inappropriate Word, written by Jim Tobin and illustrated by Dave Coverly, is a nominee for the 2015-16 South Carolina Picture Book Award.
Michael is a word collector. Whenever he comes across interesting words, he admires them and puts them under his bed. One day on the bus, though, he hears an inappropriate word. It's a word that, even though it's bad, is interesting, so Michael collects it. He hears others use the word, too. Other kids, people on the radio, and even his mom say this inappropriate word. Michael decides to share this word with his friends at school...which is maybe not the smartest thing he could have done.
When Michael's teacher learns he's been spreading the inappropriate word around, she gives him the task of finding more spelling words for the class. Michael dives into his work, and he finds so many cool words that he simply forgets about the inappropriate word...as he should.
The Very Inappropriate Word, while maybe not the best choice for a read-aloud, could open up discussions with young readers about word choice and the importance of a large vocabulary. It may also emphasize that using "inappropriate words" shows a lack of imagination.
A fun exercise to go along with this book could be to have readers find interesting words in the dictionary (or in their own spelling lists) and create drawings, like those featured in this book, that illustrate just what the words mean.
Michael is a word collector. Whenever he comes across interesting words, he admires them and puts them under his bed. One day on the bus, though, he hears an inappropriate word. It's a word that, even though it's bad, is interesting, so Michael collects it. He hears others use the word, too. Other kids, people on the radio, and even his mom say this inappropriate word. Michael decides to share this word with his friends at school...which is maybe not the smartest thing he could have done.
When Michael's teacher learns he's been spreading the inappropriate word around, she gives him the task of finding more spelling words for the class. Michael dives into his work, and he finds so many cool words that he simply forgets about the inappropriate word...as he should.
The Very Inappropriate Word, while maybe not the best choice for a read-aloud, could open up discussions with young readers about word choice and the importance of a large vocabulary. It may also emphasize that using "inappropriate words" shows a lack of imagination.
A fun exercise to go along with this book could be to have readers find interesting words in the dictionary (or in their own spelling lists) and create drawings, like those featured in this book, that illustrate just what the words mean.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2016
Michael loves and collects words. One day, however, he collects a bad word from the bus. He shares it with friends and classmates, and his teacher finds that he has spread around this word and sends him to the library to find new words to use for spelling in class. Michael finds so many words that he sort of forgets about the inappropriate word, and the book ends with the dogs picking up the bad word.
While Tobin spins a great storyline and is certainly entertaining, I did not feel that I was satisfied by the ending. I wish it had ended with Michael deciding that all the new words he found in the library were much cooler/more interesting than the bad word. Also, while I realize that the book is meant to be humorous, I wonder why Michael didn't get into trouble when the recess supervisor heard it.
Having said that, I think that Dave Coverly does an amazing job with the illustrations. I love how when the book begins, "Michael collected words," the illustration shows him standing with a dictionary page behind him. Like other reviewers, I love how each word is illustrated to give children a visual representation. The illustrations are rich and well done.
Overall, this is a fun and valuable book, and one that I think children and adults will both enjoy.
While Tobin spins a great storyline and is certainly entertaining, I did not feel that I was satisfied by the ending. I wish it had ended with Michael deciding that all the new words he found in the library were much cooler/more interesting than the bad word. Also, while I realize that the book is meant to be humorous, I wonder why Michael didn't get into trouble when the recess supervisor heard it.
Having said that, I think that Dave Coverly does an amazing job with the illustrations. I love how when the book begins, "Michael collected words," the illustration shows him standing with a dictionary page behind him. Like other reviewers, I love how each word is illustrated to give children a visual representation. The illustrations are rich and well done.
Overall, this is a fun and valuable book, and one that I think children and adults will both enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 12, 2015
Books that help teach kids those lessons that are real challenges for parents, but are entertaining to boot are to my mind a fairly rare thing. The Very Inappropriate Word, written by Jim Tobin and illustrated by Dave Coverly, does both things in a terrific way. Unlike
Little Bird's Bad Word
which also accomplishes this two-fisted task, The Very Inappropriate Word centers the story on a boy named Michael who overhears a curse word while on the bus to school. He claims the word and uses it throughout the day, inspiring classmates to use the inappropriate word too. When Michael's teacher traces the word back to Michael, she .
This is a book for young readers whose own vocabularies are still untarnished. Readers need to be able to appreciate the way that Tobin and Coverly make words tangible items in the story - items collected under the bed, or buried in the back yard. As tangible items, inappropriate words are easier to discard than a bad habit would be.
This is a book for young readers whose own vocabularies are still untarnished. Readers need to be able to appreciate the way that Tobin and Coverly make words tangible items in the story - items collected under the bed, or buried in the back yard. As tangible items, inappropriate words are easier to discard than a bad habit would be.
October 10, 2017
Michael likes learning new words. He loves to learn new definitions and takes them home with him. One day, he hears a new word at the school bus, but this new word is a very inappropriate one. He starts to hear it everywhere and shares it with friends. One day at school his teacher punishes him for saying the word. During his time out he read books and finds new words that help him forget all about the inappropriate word.
I think this is a good book. I thought it was very funny and relatable. Kids tend to be very curious about new things, including new words. Adults and others should be careful about what words they say in front of children. This book made me remember how my mother would get really mad at my dad whenever he accidentally said a bad word in front of me or my siblings. I did not get it at that age, but now that I am older I see why this can be an issue. Parents do not want their kids learning those words and teaching them to their friends at school.
This children book can help kids understand that even though there are some bad words out there, they need to lock those away and focus on the good ones.
I think this is a good book. I thought it was very funny and relatable. Kids tend to be very curious about new things, including new words. Adults and others should be careful about what words they say in front of children. This book made me remember how my mother would get really mad at my dad whenever he accidentally said a bad word in front of me or my siblings. I did not get it at that age, but now that I am older I see why this can be an issue. Parents do not want their kids learning those words and teaching them to their friends at school.
This children book can help kids understand that even though there are some bad words out there, they need to lock those away and focus on the good ones.
November 20, 2017
Summary:
Micheal is a school boy, who always learns and picks-up words. Every night he stores the new words with the ones he already knows. One day, Micheal learns a new word, and every time he said it, someone would say that was inappropriate. Even though he knew this was not a good word, he liked to use it, so he showed the word to his friends at school. For punishment, the teacher asks Micheal to find new words in the library, where he picked-up a variety of new words. He took all these new words with him, he had so many new words, that he lost track of the very inappropriate word.
Theme: To have a rich vocabulary and know that there are many words to describe something, instead of one inappropriate word.
Personal Response:
This book reminds me of school, and how when one of my classmates would learn a new inappropriate word, they would tell all the class about it. I think it should be just as a big deal when children learn other complex words that are appropriate.
Recommend: I would recommend this book because it teaches children to have a rich vocabulary, and to search for other words when they want to use an inappropriate word.
Micheal is a school boy, who always learns and picks-up words. Every night he stores the new words with the ones he already knows. One day, Micheal learns a new word, and every time he said it, someone would say that was inappropriate. Even though he knew this was not a good word, he liked to use it, so he showed the word to his friends at school. For punishment, the teacher asks Micheal to find new words in the library, where he picked-up a variety of new words. He took all these new words with him, he had so many new words, that he lost track of the very inappropriate word.
Theme: To have a rich vocabulary and know that there are many words to describe something, instead of one inappropriate word.
Personal Response:
This book reminds me of school, and how when one of my classmates would learn a new inappropriate word, they would tell all the class about it. I think it should be just as a big deal when children learn other complex words that are appropriate.
Recommend: I would recommend this book because it teaches children to have a rich vocabulary, and to search for other words when they want to use an inappropriate word.
October 10, 2013
This book is about a little boy who collects words. He finds all kinds of words on a billboard, tv, baseball practice, hot dog stand and even in school. I have to say I like the illustrations and how the words appear in a bubble. The first page shows him standing in a dicitonary page. One day while on the bus he picks up a new word he had never heard before. His sister informs him that is a very inappropriate word. He asks his friend what "inappropriate" mean. So, he hides the word in his pocket. Now he starts to notice other people saying that word. He shows it to his friends at recess and yells it at the tops of his lungs. His teacher, Mrs. Dixon takes him to the library to dig up a few new words which he does for two hours and forty-five minute. He asks if he can take some words home which he does, two wagons full. The dog then picks up his bad word. Teachers and parents may find this book useful when correcting or teaching appropriate words. This book would be for kindergarten through grade 2.
K
K
November 14, 2013
When vocab-loving Michael hears a naughty word on the school bus, he can't help sharing it with a few friends. But after spending a little time in the library at his teacher's urging, Michael learns so many exciting new words that he forgets all about the naughty one.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's a great concept, and one that parents will find useful--but I think a lot of kids won't find it so easy to "forget" the words they aren't supposed to say, and the ending (which may certainly generate a few chuckles) just seemed to defeat the moral of the story. I usually appreciate subtlety in picture books, but I actually found myself wanting Michael's teacher to come right out and deliver the lesson in this case: There are so many unique and amazing words out there that it just seems lame, lazy, and downright boring to give in to the over-used four-letter ones. Kids who share Michael's voracious appetite for new vocabulary may be able to deduce this lesson from their story by themselves...but other kids may need a little extra discussion to understand this.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It's a great concept, and one that parents will find useful--but I think a lot of kids won't find it so easy to "forget" the words they aren't supposed to say, and the ending (which may certainly generate a few chuckles) just seemed to defeat the moral of the story. I usually appreciate subtlety in picture books, but I actually found myself wanting Michael's teacher to come right out and deliver the lesson in this case: There are so many unique and amazing words out there that it just seems lame, lazy, and downright boring to give in to the over-used four-letter ones. Kids who share Michael's voracious appetite for new vocabulary may be able to deduce this lesson from their story by themselves...but other kids may need a little extra discussion to understand this.
October 4, 2015
You would expect this book to deal with what happens when you say an inappropriate word, and it does that wonderfully. What I was not expecting, but found with this book, was the other marvelous vocabulary and word work ideas that came from it. Michael doesn't say his inappropriate word because he wants to make trouble, he says it because he loves words and it is simply one he collects. Each great word in the story is given life by a visual that helps Michael, and the reader, decipher what the word might be and how to remember it. This is a great strategy to give kids and this book exposes them to a variety of wonderful words. As a teacher, building vocabulary is so critical with kids, yet it's not the easiest thing to teach. You don't want kids to just memorize a list of words, that has no meaning. So teaching them how to find, "own," and then use those words from books they read and any other source is great. I will be reading this book and inviting students to begin their own visual dictionary and to become great word collectors.
November 4, 2015
This book is about a boy named Michael that likes to collect interesting words. He has collected hundreds and hundreds of words but one day, he hears a word that he has never heard before. It's a bad word. Michael kind of likes the word and he hears it all over the place, so he decides that he wants to try and use the word, at school. Not such a good idea. He teachers tells him to not use the word and then the book ends. This book starts out strong and I thought it was going to have a good moral lesson, but that was something it lacked. It was humorous but I don't think I would use it because it sends the message that bad words are funny more so than bad.
Activity: You could use this book to help encourage children to look up and write down words they don't know when they come across them. I would pick out another book and sit down with my class and we'd read it aloud and stop every time we found a word we didn't know or thought was interesting.
Tobin, J., & Coverly, D. (2013). The very inappropriate word. New York: Henry Holt and.
Activity: You could use this book to help encourage children to look up and write down words they don't know when they come across them. I would pick out another book and sit down with my class and we'd read it aloud and stop every time we found a word we didn't know or thought was interesting.
Tobin, J., & Coverly, D. (2013). The very inappropriate word. New York: Henry Holt and.
September 20, 2013
In this book, Michael is a boy who loves to "collect" words. After collecting many great words, Michael picks up a very bad word one day. Michael spreads the words around until his teacher hears him and has Michael find many different words in the library for her. Michael then forgets the bad word, but his dog remembers it. This book could be used in the curriculum to expand students vocabulary and in units on adjectives. Also, if inappropriate words are finding their way into the classroom it would be good to introduce this book to the students then. I think this book is visually appealing in the way that it incorporates so many different words into the pictures, while also telling the story through the flow of the pictures. They are vivid and interesting while being slightly 3D. I personally love this book and think that it addresses a touchy subject in a fun and safe way. This book would be geared more towards upper elementary aged students.
August 21, 2014
Michael loves to collect words so, inevitably, one day he ends up collecting a bad word! When his friends repeat the word, Michael lands in a heap of hot water … and sitting in a library collecting new spelling words for his teacher. Luckily, Michael ends up collecting so many new words, he loses track of the bad one.
While re-shelving new books at work, I ran across this title. The cover pulled me in (doesn’t the cover always do that? Yay marketing people!) but Michael’s love of words held me to the last page. The story is good, the lesson is the best, the artwork is incredible.
One word of caution, the vocabulary words contained inside could be very overwhelming for younger readers. Read every-single-word aloud cautiously and sparingly. It is a book that could be grabbed for a good weekly vocabulary lesson. Lots of ideas for discussion are contained within its covers. I’m off to buy a copy for my nephews!
While re-shelving new books at work, I ran across this title. The cover pulled me in (doesn’t the cover always do that? Yay marketing people!) but Michael’s love of words held me to the last page. The story is good, the lesson is the best, the artwork is incredible.
One word of caution, the vocabulary words contained inside could be very overwhelming for younger readers. Read every-single-word aloud cautiously and sparingly. It is a book that could be grabbed for a good weekly vocabulary lesson. Lots of ideas for discussion are contained within its covers. I’m off to buy a copy for my nephews!
August 11, 2016
Michael collects words from any and every source he can find. One day on the school bus he picks up a word he had never heard before and it turns out to be very inappropriate. Cleverly, the word is shown as a graphic of symbols in a 'dirty' messy word bubble. But that doesn't stop Michael from trying the word out which leads to him being in trouble with his teacher, Mrs. Dixon. She sends him to the library with the task of digging up a few new spelling words for her. Michael found a lot of new words and took some home with him and that helped him loose track of the very inappropriate word which of course was picked up by somebody else. The cartoon style ink and watercolor illustrations are a perfect match for this humorous story which would work well for a parent or teacher who was facing a child with a very inappropriate word.
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