Letters make sounds
Sounds make words
Words make sentences
Sentences make paragraphs
Paragraphs make stories
That is what I tell my students. This book basically echoes the same sentiment.
Max’s Words (2006), written by Kate Banks and illustrated by Boris Kulikov, was a real treat. My students totally got the concept of words making sentences. I have an activity planned for them that compliments the book. I cut up some sentence strips and placed them in a bag. Their task is to make sentences just as Max and his brothers did in the book. So, on to the review.
Max’s brother Benjamin collected stamps. He asked his brother for a stamp and his brother said no.
Max’s brother Karl collected coins. He asked his brother for a coin and his brother said no.
Max collected nothing. He wanted to collect something, so he decided to collect words.
He collected small words, big words, words that made him feel good, words of things he liked to eat, and words that he cut out of magazines and newspapers.
Max discovered that once he put the words together, he could make sentences. He discovered that if he changed them around, the sentences changed.
If he put the words this way, he got:
A blue crocodile ate the green iguana.
However, if he put the words this way, with the same words, he got:
The blue iguana ate a green crocodile.
He was intrigued. He began experimenting with the words. Soon, he didn’t want Benjamin’s stamps or Karl’s coins. He was happy with his collection. After awhile his brothers want to play with his words. What does he do?
Well, I guess you’re just going to have to read it for yourself and find out.
I highly recommend this book. It would be especially good for Kindergarteners to get the concept of words making sentences. I am on my way to the library to pick up the sequel “Max’s Dragon.” I hope it’s just as good as this one.
Filed under: book reviews, teaching
