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Babble!: And How Punctuation Saved It
A village is torn apart by its residents' inability to communicate, until a little girl shares the gift of punctuation in this humorous illustrated parable.
Chaos reigns in the village of Babble! All day, the residents fight, yell and argue, and no one is heard or understood . . . until a mysterious little girl arrives and gives the locals something very a period. But what is this thing that looks like a freckle or a spot? The villagers don't even know how to ask. However, as the girl begins to share more gifts — a question mark, quotation marks — the residents slowly learn how to communicate. But when more fights arise and disaster strikes, can punctuation truly save the day?
Chaos reigns in the village of Babble! All day, the residents fight, yell and argue, and no one is heard or understood . . . until a mysterious little girl arrives and gives the locals something very a period. But what is this thing that looks like a freckle or a spot? The villagers don't even know how to ask. However, as the girl begins to share more gifts — a question mark, quotation marks — the residents slowly learn how to communicate. But when more fights arise and disaster strikes, can punctuation truly save the day?
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
72 pages, Hardcover
Published October 25, 2022
2 people are currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Adderson
55 books78 followersCaroline Adderson grew up in Alberta. After traveling around Canada, she moved to B.C. to go to university and has mostly lived there ever since. She started writing seriously after university, eventually going on to write two internationally published novels (A History of Forgetting and Sitting Practice) and two collections of short stories for adults (Bad Imaginings and Pleased To Meet You). When her son was five, she began writing seriously unserious books for young readers (Very Serious Children; I, Bruno;and Bruno For Real). Her contribution to the Single Voice series is her first really serious book for young readers and her first book for teens.
Caroline’s work has received numerous prize nominations including the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. A two-time Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and three-time CBC Literary Award winner, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career in recognition of her body of work. She also won the 2009 Diamond Willow Award—voted on by lots of nice kids in Saskatchewan—for her children’s novel Very Serious Children.
Caroline keeps writing for readers of all ages every day. She also does a little teaching at Simon Fraser University and hangs out with her husband, a filmmaker, their 10-year-old son, and their naughty dog, Mickey, a Jack Russell terrier who is very lucky to be cute or she would never get away with all she does. Caroline’s advice to young writers is to read, read, read and write, write, write, and never get a Jack Russell terrier.
Caroline’s work has received numerous prize nominations including the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. A two-time Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and three-time CBC Literary Award winner, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career in recognition of her body of work. She also won the 2009 Diamond Willow Award—voted on by lots of nice kids in Saskatchewan—for her children’s novel Very Serious Children.
Caroline keeps writing for readers of all ages every day. She also does a little teaching at Simon Fraser University and hangs out with her husband, a filmmaker, their 10-year-old son, and their naughty dog, Mickey, a Jack Russell terrier who is very lucky to be cute or she would never get away with all she does. Caroline’s advice to young writers is to read, read, read and write, write, write, and never get a Jack Russell terrier.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 19, 2023
I read a cranky review of this after I heard of it, and I thought, “Sheesh, that was cranky,” but now I kind of get it. The idea, artwork, and prominent presentation of the punctuation marks were all neat. Otherwise, I’m not sure what child would be interested in this or how it would really teach them much about punctuation. It seems more like a jokey book grammar-loving adults might share among themselves, and that’s fine.
June 13, 2022
This is a unique book to read. I can't live in a village that involves a flat monotone of voices. The words leaving their mouths were different from the ones that stayed inside their heads. All this time that they are arguing inside their heads only? Kinda weird. Well, thank you to the kid that introduces the punctuations. She solved the problem. I love the storyline and the ideas about this book. What would happen if we lived without punctuation.
However, it is difficult for me to do the storytelling with the children using this book, and I don't think the children will get the vibes of humour in this book, but it is a good book to read.
However, it is difficult for me to do the storytelling with the children using this book, and I don't think the children will get the vibes of humour in this book, but it is a good book to read.
April 23, 2022
A town plagued by arguments and incomprehensibility finds they might be able to communicate after a mysterious stranger brings them the gift of punctuation.
While reading this book, I became more and more confused. The purpose of the book was unclear and seemed to be a mix of ideas about language, emotion, and communication that made no sense when put together. It was unclear whether the book was making a commentary about emotions signalled through punctuation, or whether punctuation is the beginning of feeling and emotion.
As an English teacher (I have primarily taught English as a second or foreign language and I am very familiar with methods of instruction), I was also frustrated because this would neither be instructive to small children learning, nor for those older who were trying to learn the styles and conventions of English punctuation. And the confusing nature of the meaning of the book did not seem like it was for comedic purposes either.
Punctuation primarily serves to make written language comprehensible. Spoken language, unless part of a comedic skit with "punctuation noises", does not use punctuation. And as spoken language pre-dates written language, it makes zero sense for spoken language to be mutually comprehensible to people without written punctuation marks brought by a stranger. Punctuation also signals emotion in writing, and this often in conjunction with adjectives and adverbs. In this story, the village are unable to express or even use emotion in their voices before the stranger brings the punctuation marks and shows them to them. There also seemed to be several pedantic grammar sentences commonly used as examples in teaching to demonstrate the importance of importance of commas. Needless to say, the book was frustrating and confusing. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I read this book voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley for this free eARC to review this book honestly.
While reading this book, I became more and more confused. The purpose of the book was unclear and seemed to be a mix of ideas about language, emotion, and communication that made no sense when put together. It was unclear whether the book was making a commentary about emotions signalled through punctuation, or whether punctuation is the beginning of feeling and emotion.
As an English teacher (I have primarily taught English as a second or foreign language and I am very familiar with methods of instruction), I was also frustrated because this would neither be instructive to small children learning, nor for those older who were trying to learn the styles and conventions of English punctuation. And the confusing nature of the meaning of the book did not seem like it was for comedic purposes either.
Punctuation primarily serves to make written language comprehensible. Spoken language, unless part of a comedic skit with "punctuation noises", does not use punctuation. And as spoken language pre-dates written language, it makes zero sense for spoken language to be mutually comprehensible to people without written punctuation marks brought by a stranger. Punctuation also signals emotion in writing, and this often in conjunction with adjectives and adverbs. In this story, the village are unable to express or even use emotion in their voices before the stranger brings the punctuation marks and shows them to them. There also seemed to be several pedantic grammar sentences commonly used as examples in teaching to demonstrate the importance of importance of commas. Needless to say, the book was frustrating and confusing. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
I read this book voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley for this free eARC to review this book honestly.
June 3, 2022
I received a free digital copy of "Babble!" by Caroline Adderson and illustrated by Roman Muradov in exchange for an honest review of the work.
"Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It" toes the line between long picture book and early chapter book, with the most appropriate setting to read being aloud and on a parent's lap. The aural element of punctuation is missing if a child were to read this on their own without prior instruction on punctuation. The more dynamic word choice, coupled with the foundational explanations of punctuation, puts "Babble!" as a book to be read with a grownup or an enthused student returning to the basics after mastery.
Punctuation can be difficult for beginning readers, especially if their favorite punctuation is the question mark. And more so when it's preceded by, "But why does it matter?" The start of this book could be difficult for this audience. A stranger pops into a "once upon a time" village where no one has any punctuation to put meaning to their constant babbling. The narration takes on this monotonous quality for quite a few sections before punctuation is introduced--making the exposition almost frustrating to read. This could be either a motivator or demotivator for children reading on their own, depending on their feelings toward reading. Reading aloud with a caregiver could be a more engaging way to experience the text.
As the stranger introduces punctuation marks one by one to the villagers, as their need arises, those punctuation marks are printed large and red in the narration. They stand out against the black text and, by the end, create a visual on the page for how integral punctuation is to language. That use of color also bookends the story. The black text opens a door (maybe a portal?) into the village and their babble. On the final pages, the red punctuation covers the page as the stranger leaves just as miraculously as she came in. My digital copy of "Babble!" had some issues with scaling, so I cannot comment further on the illustrations beyond the use of color.
At around 48 numbered pages, this is a longer read for the child who is starting to learn punctuation. I can see "Babble!" used as a classroom book, with the teacher using small sections to focus on one type of punctuation. The "real world" applications for punctuation are readily understandable for young readers. However, these examples are expected and unimaginative such as the "Let's eat Grandpa!" explanation on comma usage.
"Babble!" ends with afterword, or more appropriately, a glossary of more advanced punctuation for the young reader wanting to know more. The explanations of dashes, ellipses, and semicolons are thorough and include short examples within their definitions.
"Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It" toes the line between long picture book and early chapter book, with the most appropriate setting to read being aloud and on a parent's lap. The aural element of punctuation is missing if a child were to read this on their own without prior instruction on punctuation. The more dynamic word choice, coupled with the foundational explanations of punctuation, puts "Babble!" as a book to be read with a grownup or an enthused student returning to the basics after mastery.
Punctuation can be difficult for beginning readers, especially if their favorite punctuation is the question mark. And more so when it's preceded by, "But why does it matter?" The start of this book could be difficult for this audience. A stranger pops into a "once upon a time" village where no one has any punctuation to put meaning to their constant babbling. The narration takes on this monotonous quality for quite a few sections before punctuation is introduced--making the exposition almost frustrating to read. This could be either a motivator or demotivator for children reading on their own, depending on their feelings toward reading. Reading aloud with a caregiver could be a more engaging way to experience the text.
As the stranger introduces punctuation marks one by one to the villagers, as their need arises, those punctuation marks are printed large and red in the narration. They stand out against the black text and, by the end, create a visual on the page for how integral punctuation is to language. That use of color also bookends the story. The black text opens a door (maybe a portal?) into the village and their babble. On the final pages, the red punctuation covers the page as the stranger leaves just as miraculously as she came in. My digital copy of "Babble!" had some issues with scaling, so I cannot comment further on the illustrations beyond the use of color.
At around 48 numbered pages, this is a longer read for the child who is starting to learn punctuation. I can see "Babble!" used as a classroom book, with the teacher using small sections to focus on one type of punctuation. The "real world" applications for punctuation are readily understandable for young readers. However, these examples are expected and unimaginative such as the "Let's eat Grandpa!" explanation on comma usage.
"Babble!" ends with afterword, or more appropriately, a glossary of more advanced punctuation for the young reader wanting to know more. The explanations of dashes, ellipses, and semicolons are thorough and include short examples within their definitions.
July 28, 2022
What an excellent way to explain why we use punctuation! The residents in a village once lived in incredible confusion and frustration. Everything they thought or expressed came out the same, in one stream-of-consciousness eruption. It was miserable chaos! Then one day a stranger arrived with helpful supplies. She had a period, to make thoughts stop. She had quotation marks to differentiate between thoughts and statements. She had question marks and exclamation points to communicate intent and commas to clarify meaning. Life was much, much better!
This is a great beginning chapter book for 2nd - 3rd grade and is a wonderfully unique approach to teaching about grammar. This is a fantastic accompaniment to explaining the basic rules of punctuation and will really help reinforce the concepts in an effective way to reach multiple learning styles. This would a great addition to elementary classrooms!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
This is a great beginning chapter book for 2nd - 3rd grade and is a wonderfully unique approach to teaching about grammar. This is a fantastic accompaniment to explaining the basic rules of punctuation and will really help reinforce the concepts in an effective way to reach multiple learning styles. This would a great addition to elementary classrooms!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
February 24, 2023
I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting going into this. Obviously it would have to do with punctuation and there was a story. I didn't expect this mishmash of promethean mythos and teachable methodology around introducing a young audience to punctuation. And for the most part, this story exemplifies exactly how punctuation is used extremely well. It has copious examples and provides scenarios (even if they're as bizarre as an village where everyone babbles because they don't know to stop) to introduce punctuation that work within the realm of the story.
My only issue is with how quickly they shift from comma to apostrophe. Commas are hard. And while I can see how they link visually, they don't truly connect in terms of usage. I wish there'd been one more chapter to introduce apostrophes. (Props for Oxford comma usage though. Get them while they're young!)
My only issue is with how quickly they shift from comma to apostrophe. Commas are hard. And while I can see how they link visually, they don't truly connect in terms of usage. I wish there'd been one more chapter to introduce apostrophes. (Props for Oxford comma usage though. Get them while they're young!)
August 13, 2022
A fun little parable about a town where everyone talks in long strings of words without any stops or starts, all muddled together, until a woman with a bag filled with punctuation comes to visit. First she hands out periods, and the townspeople learn how to make sentences. After they're used to that, she hands out more punctuation, one by one - commas to separate things and ideas, question marks to help one ask things, quotation marks for when someone is speaking, etc - until finally, everyone is speaking to each other and understanding what they're saying! The text and illustrations are cleverly done, and reminded me a bit of Milo visiting Dictionopolis in The Phantom Tollbooth (one of my favorite books). A fun way for the kiddos to learn about punctuation!
#NetGalley
#NetGalley
December 5, 2022
This book follows a stranger who visits a town with no punctuation. The stranger pulls out punctuation symbols from her bag and explains to the town how to use them. The ones used in the book are the period, the question mark, the exclamation mark and the apostrophe. These help the town in situations that arise during the book. The punctuation saves this small town.
This book is super cute, the illustrations are readable and simple. The storyline is really easy to follow and it would be an amazing book for children Grade 1 + 2 who are learning about punctuation and where to use it in a sentence. This book does a really good job of educating while also telling a fun story.
This book is super cute, the illustrations are readable and simple. The storyline is really easy to follow and it would be an amazing book for children Grade 1 + 2 who are learning about punctuation and where to use it in a sentence. This book does a really good job of educating while also telling a fun story.
June 29, 2022
This was not a picture book as expected. It’s not quite a chapter book and way harder than easy reading. This is a book that sets forth to explain punctuation in a story setting. At the beginning all words are just babble running into each other nonstop. Until a character comes in and hands somebody a period. Then more things arise and she hands them a ? Then an ! And then even some commas. It helps the world learn to communicate with each other and with themselves. Overall, the story was interesting but long. I see being most useful in an education setting with either teacher at home school.
December 5, 2022
The town of Babble is in chaos because the villagers all speak in run-on sentences with no punctuation. A stranger arrives with a bag full of gifts. She teaches the villagers about the period, question mark, exclamation mark, and comma, helping them clarify what they are trying to say.
This was a cute book with lots of potential, but it didn't quite click fully with me. I was hoping for a children's version of Lynne Truss's brilliant and hilarious "Eats Shoots & Leaves," but, alas, it wasn't as enlightened.
This was a cute book with lots of potential, but it didn't quite click fully with me. I was hoping for a children's version of Lynne Truss's brilliant and hilarious "Eats Shoots & Leaves," but, alas, it wasn't as enlightened.
January 8, 2025
Like Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, this clever book for the younger set emphasizes the massive importance of punctuation usage. Highlighted by cartoony illustrations reminiscent of Thurber, it's a fun read that should appeal to many age groups.
Yes, even adults can learn something here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the read.
Yes, even adults can learn something here.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tundra Books for the read.
March 21, 2023
Babble: And How Punctuation Saved It by Caroline Adderson with illustrations by Roman Muradov is a gem of a book. This parable tells the story of life before punctuation--and how the simple addition of a few punctuation marks cleared up confusion, helped people get communicate, and inspired community. Grammar nerds will enjoy the fun punctuation humor--as well as the helpful information in the back of the book. A great read!
May 31, 2022
This book is a bit funny but I am not sure who the intended audience is. There's too few images for younger kids and not enough text for older kids. Probably a tad bit too confusing for most kids. I am also not sure why some punctuation was included all in one page at the end rather than be included in the main story line.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this ARC.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 9, 2022
Same lesson as Eats Shoots and Leaves, but in a charming story of a town who was living a sad punctuation-less existence until a hero comes along to enlighten them. A must have for anyone who teaches English/Language Arts. Warm up the Elmo or obtain an eBook copy to have fun interactive punctuation lessons.
December 31, 2023
So cute! The book begins in a town with no punctuation - everyone constantly talks in a monotone without pause. A stranger appears and brings punctuation marks, one at a time, and teaches the town to use them.
My 3rd grader really struggles with punctuation rules. He read it and giggled then said he learned a lot. We'll read it a few more times before it's due and see what sticks.
My 3rd grader really struggles with punctuation rules. He read it and giggled then said he learned a lot. We'll read it a few more times before it's due and see what sticks.
October 28, 2022
Darling little story about how punctuation helps us all communicate.
The classic pen and ink illustrations lend to the whimsy of the stranger and the coloured text was an effective device.
The classic pen and ink illustrations lend to the whimsy of the stranger and the coloured text was an effective device.
November 5, 2022
Very cleverly done, good use of child-level humour (especially the chapter about the comma). Great tool for teachers or parents to explain punctuation to young readers.
November 18, 2022
Review coming soon...
December 20, 2022
3.5 stars.
June 27, 2023
Very cute story about punctuation! I love the way each punctuation mark was presented.
November 30, 2023
2.5 stars
December 30, 2023
Such a clear example of basic punctuation
August 10, 2024
I stumbled across this book at the library and grabbed it on a whim (as an English teacher would be prone to do). I found it delightful. Simple, but delightful.
Perhaps it is more entertaining for grammar loving adults than it would be for children. But I think the right child would also enjoy it
Perhaps it is more entertaining for grammar loving adults than it would be for children. But I think the right child would also enjoy it
October 22, 2024
Cute story for young children.
October 3, 2025
This was fun--see https://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/202... for details!
January 11, 2023
How would a town without punctuation sound? The sound might make you scream! Well, the village of Babble couldn’t scream or ask why not before a young stranger brought them some practical, linguistic gifts.
No one can understand each other in Babble, where monotonous sounds overlap and people can't distinguish their own thoughts from speech. In this once upon a time country, a little girl brings a bag of colorful little markings that just might save the community’s communication. These baffling markings are what we now know today as: periods, question marks, quotation marks, exclamation points, commas, and apostrophes. This picture book for kids around 6 to 8 years old reminds us not to take these symbols for granted.
Babble! is Harold and the Purple Crayon for the grammarian. It’s the little stranger girl with the red-orange punctuation. Instead of a solo creative journey away from and then back home, it’s a collective effort to make sense of the way we all communicate with each other.
Learning about punctuation can now be a fun, interesting story for the whole family—thanks to Caroline Adderson and Roman Muradov! My rating: 9.5/10
[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review]
No one can understand each other in Babble, where monotonous sounds overlap and people can't distinguish their own thoughts from speech. In this once upon a time country, a little girl brings a bag of colorful little markings that just might save the community’s communication. These baffling markings are what we now know today as: periods, question marks, quotation marks, exclamation points, commas, and apostrophes. This picture book for kids around 6 to 8 years old reminds us not to take these symbols for granted.
Babble! is Harold and the Purple Crayon for the grammarian. It’s the little stranger girl with the red-orange punctuation. Instead of a solo creative journey away from and then back home, it’s a collective effort to make sense of the way we all communicate with each other.
Learning about punctuation can now be a fun, interesting story for the whole family—thanks to Caroline Adderson and Roman Muradov! My rating: 9.5/10
[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a review]
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews