More than Words: So Many Ways to Say What We Mean by Roz MacLean

 

Genre

This book is in the fiction genre. 

Targeted Age Group

The targeted age group for this book includes ages 4-8.

Summary

This book is about a young boy who listens but doesn’t often speak, and observes the variety of tools that his peers use to communicate. 

Justification 

I chose this book as a Texas 2x2 award book. I was drawn to the bright colors on the cover, as well as being interested in the premise of exploring different modes of communication. There are many ways to communicate, and the importance of representing these experiences for early readers can create a more welcoming world by giving children an early opportunity to learn how to communicate in a variety of ways.

Evaluation

The illustrations were one of my favorite things about this book. They are cute, colorful, and detailed, which makes this picture book fun as well as educational. MacLean’s (2023) lines are soft and loose, giving the pictures a playful feel. One of my favorite repeating elements throughout the book was the appearance of chickadees. While not on every page, they can be spotted throughout most of the book; this gives readers a chance to spend time looking through each illustration, and spot the birds in creative places such as drawings on a classroom wall, or silhouettes on a windowsill. Aside from being fun to look at, MacLean’s illustrations also come together to support Nathan, the main character whose observant perspective we follow through the story. As the readers pay attention to Nathan’s observations, they will learn how he quietly but creatively gets to know those around him to communicate with everyone in his own way. Because the illustrations are tied together by both their small details and their overarching relevance to Nathan’s observations, they are able to tell the story just as strongly even if the text weren’t speaking to the reader.

The language in this book is simple and creatively portrayed on each page. On one page, a blind student is shown using a brailler. The text simply reads, “He writes using BRAILLE,” and printed braille is included under the all-caps word. Another page about sign language features the word “sign” in big, boldly illustrated letters, and within each letter is its finger sign. Creative displays of the text like these are found throughout the book, and while they are also part of the illustrations, they enhance the message of the text in a stylized and memorable way that engage learning.

The setting for this book takes place in a school, both in the classroom and outside the building. This is a location that kids can relate to, where they would naturally encounter diverse communication abilities and needs. Additionally, the school setting can be compared to the role that this book plays, which is to teach young readers how to recognize different ways of communication and be prepared to engage with people who use them. The inclusion of two informative pages at the back of the book, while not part of the setting of the book, still enhance the schooling aspect (MacLean, 2023, unpaged). Apart from the learning role that the setting plays, the illustrations also successfully capture familiar aspects of the areas portrayed, both inside and outside the classroom: the organized shelves of classroom materials and crowded playgrounds will remind audiences of their own schools.

This book was a great read, and I hope you enjoy it too! Happy reading! 

References

MacLean, R. (2023). More than words: So many ways to say what we mean (R. MacLean, Illus.). Henry Holt and Company.