What can words be, or rather, what can’t they be? Poet Alastair Reid introduces children and adults to the wondrous waywardness of words in Ounce Dice Trice , a delicious confection and a wildly unexpected exploration of sound and sense and nonsense that is like nothing else. Reid offers light words (willow, whirr, spinnaker) and heavy words (galoshes, mugwump, crumb), words on the move and odd words, words that read both ways and words that read the wrong way around (rezagrats), along with much else. Accompanied by Ben Shahn’s glorious drawings, Ounce Dice Trice is a book of endless delights, not to mention the only place where you can find the answer to the What is a gongoozler? Well, all I can say is quoz.
Alastair Reid was a Scottish poet, translator, essayist, and scholar of Latin American literature. He joined the staff of The New Yorker in 1959 and translated works by Pablo Neruda and Jorge Luis Borges. Although he was known for translations, his own poems gained notice during his lifetime. He had lived in Spain, Switzerland, Greece, Morocco, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, the Dominican Republic, and in the United States.
Among his many books for children are A Balloon for a Blunderbuss, I Keep Changing, and Millionaires (all illustrated by Bob Gill), and Supposing (illustrated by Abe Birnbaum). In 2008 he published two career-spanning collections of work, Inside Out: Selected Poetry and Translations and Outside In: Selected Prose.
Ounce Dice Trice is the second in my B-Day trilogy that I mailed to my niece the other day (the first being Supposing, by the same author, the third, The Terrible Troll-bird).
This book is a romp exploring the magic/fun of words and their power.
Below is a short compilation of some of my favorite words or phrases:
A "consternation of mothers" or a "tribulation of children"
Sounds people & things make:
MRRAAOWL (a more accurate transliteration of a cat's "meow") HARROWOLLOWORRAH (a yawn) KINKLUNK (a car going over a manhole cover)
Names for whales: HAMISH, CHUMLEY
A propos of that: "It is most important to be a good namer, since it falls to all of us at some time or other to name anything from a canary to a castle...."
And, lastly:
If someone tells you something you don't believe, look at him steadily and say: FIRKYDOODLE FUDGE.
This is a glorious book to savor and read again and again just for the chance to revel in the beauty of words. It's not just a kids book, though it is sold in that department and though kids would love to have it read to them. The words speak for themselves, are arranged as artfully as poetry on a page, and are accompanied by the most beautiful and skillful illustrations by Ben Shahn. What a collaboration! I recommend it for everyone, and hope, even if you don't add it to your library, that you take the opportunity to look for it, and in it.
One of my favorite books, all about words - some real, taken out of context, and listed by categories, like: "Light Words" (lissom, sibilant, nimble...), "Names for Elephants" (Wilbur, Bendigo, Wendell Tubb, Deuteronomy...), etc. Other words are completely invented and defined such as "a GONGOZZLER is an idle person who is always stopping in the street and starting at a curious object like a TINGLE-AIREY." The illustrations by Ben Shahn are also wonderful. O.P., but find it at the library - great fun to read aloud, and likely to lead to imaginative family word play!
Pair this with Richard Wilbur's Opposites, More Opposites, and a Few Differences.
Sections of this book were very cute & just the sort thing I think I would have loved to read and reread and memorize as a child. I think it would also be great for teaching children about words and poetry. *There were a couple of things that were inappropriate
I loved, loved, loved this book. Did I say I love this book? This is a book for all you long-winded, locquacious, verbose lovers of our fine language. It was really funny and words used I never ever heard of. It just left me feeling Ram Tam Gee Pickagee! Feeling good! In it he gives names to everything. I loved the part where he names twins like Wishy and Washy for fish, Higgledy-Piggledy (good names for pigs) or Shilly and Shally or Dilly and Dally or Knick and Knack. Namby and Pamby are better names for poodles;.Just a fun book. I want to go out and name some birds or something.
What a fun book! This book lists cooky words in the English language, using categories that range from "names for your twin cats" to alternate sets of words to help you count one through ten (hence the title). My personal favorite lists: The "heavy" and "light" words -- weigh them as you say them -- only a poet could make these observations. Could ignite an interest in linguistics for children and adults. It's not a dictionary, but it makes you want to dig into one :)
This is a book I got sent when I was a kid, which was ok, and then when I had children I got sent TWO copies for my children, like it was going to be the best book in the entire universe and I absolutely mustn't forget to give each of my children this book. As I said, it's ok, but it really isn't quite as amusing or amazing as I think my benefactors thought it was. At least, not for me. Or my children. But I do like the Ben Shahn drawings.
Hurray! It's back in print! Now I can give this book to my friends. Because to my mind every writer needs a dictionary, a thesaurus, The Elements of Style (illustrated), and this - OUNCE DICE TRICE.
Hilarious wordplay for all ages, excellent black and white caricatures pair and enhance silliness. Side-splitting rhythms, frolicking repetitions and slick shenanigans create a must read work of art!
I was delighted that my Mom still possessed this book from my childhood. It's a playful, fun celebration of both the meaning and sound of words (both real and made-up), accompanied by great illustrations by Ben Shahn.
I'll give two representative examples, a list of animal groups:
"A BOOING OF BUFFALOES A DULE OF DOVES AN EXALTATION OF LARKS A NYE OF PHEASANTS A PIOLING OF PELICANS A SKEIN OF GEESE A SKULK OF FOXES A SMOTHER OF SPIDERS A SNUTTERING OF MONKEYS A TREMBLING OF GOLDFISH"
And from a series of linked paragraphs using obscure, forgotten words:
"WHAT IS THE PAXWAX?
The paxwax is the tendon at the back of the neck which supports the head, and which flushes red when people are in a tirrivee.
WHAT IS A TIRRIVEE?
A tirrivee is a temper. Mothers go into a tirrivee over the jiggery-pokery of children.
WHAT IS JIGGERY-POKERY?
Jiggery-pokery is trickery or mischief or hanky-panky on the part of children, such as pretending to be deaf or teasing a Tantony.
WHAT IS A TANTONY?
A Tantony is the smallest pig in a litter, so called after Saint Anthony, the patron saint of swineherds. Small creatures are usually given such special names, like kittens or cygnets or quicklings."
My most treasured book, saved from my father’s office, many years ago. It still has his logo stamped on the inside and smoke damage from the fire that destroyed part of the building. I reread this book periodically when I am feeling down, or nostalgic, or when I wanted to entertain my children, or now my grandchildren, or even myself, with funny words and wonderful illustrations.
I should have loved this, but I don't like the illustrations, and I don't like that some of the words (though we don't learn which until we check) are invented, and I don't agree with Reid's evaluations of which words are, for example, 'heavy.' Waste of a potentially wonderful idea, imo.
full review at Deseret News Author Alastair Reid has a fascination with words that he'd like to share with you. And not just any words, although those are interesting, too, but also curiosities, old words no longer used and words he thinks should exist.
Paired with black-and-white illustrations, these tongue-twisting collections of letters may just make you want to create your own concoction of words.
"Ounce Dice Trice" is quirky and unconventional. With poetry and illustrations reminiscent of Shel Silverstein, this book is a witty and fun ride for the entire family.
A book that explores and seeks to share a love of words, from palindromes to words that are airy or heavy, squishy or buggy, names for houses and names for whales, words becoming lost, like dimity and gloaming and frangipani, gnurr and oosse, dayligone, tantony (smallest piglet in a litter) or worg (plant that won't grow), jiggery-pokery and thrumbled. Very fun.
This is one of the NYRB's fabulous series of reprints. In this one, poet Alistair Reid explores words. Big words, little words, words that should rhyme but don't, words that rhyme but shouldn't. Simple illustrations and clever combinations make this an excellent book for introducing younger readers to more complicated but fun words.
A clever celebration of words, but real and made-up. There is no narrative, just lists of words and words about words. I was hooked by the list of names for elephants. The text is amusing, but I liked the illustrations even more.
A great way to introduce children to the joy of words, both read and spoken. Possibly a little too advanced for the six year old, but she seemed to enjoy it anyway, for the most part. I can see this being a book we'll return to often.
"Words for times of day (to be used where there are no clocks)" is my favorite. Shahn's line drawings are delightful, especially the roller skaters on the page for "light words" and the odd-looking wee fellow who illustrates "feeling good," or "ram tam gee pickagee."