The Fairview Review: Virtual Book Tour Words

ABOUT THE BOOK

Words

Illustrated by Anne Berry

Ages: 4-6 | 36 Pages

Publisher: Riverlet Press (2025) | ISBN: 978-1-737957690

Publisher’s Book Summary: A multicultural group of children discovers a park where everyone’s words come to life, looking and behaving a lot like kids. Some words are kinder and more inviting, while others are pushy or prickly or odd. Not every word makes the best first impression, but as they play and share adventures, the children connect more deeply with language. They learn that words have superpowers and grow to love them for their quirks. They see that words make excellent friends, who magically appear just as they’re needed and perfectly mirror how kids feel. The more these children bond with language, the more they tap into their inner voice— and as they dare to give it expression, they gain more respect for the power of words.

PURCHASE LINK

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MY REVIEW

Finding the right words can be hard sometimes, and some words can hurt our feelings while other words can lift our spirits. This playful look at words explores the ways we interact with words. For example, sometimes we search for them, or are unable to find the ones we want, and at other times we share them and use them to speak the truth.

The soft, watercolor hues of the illustrations welcome readers in and invite them to look closely and find the words worked into each scene. Some are fluffy green letters spelling out "bush" in some shrubs. Others show pairs in action with "zig" and "zag" swerving around on their skateboards or opposites like "push" and "pull" tussling on the playground. The first of these figures that readers see is made of the letters w-o-r-d, which show up very clearly in the figure's shadow. That will probably set off an I-spy hunt through the book to find all the words in their various forms.

As the text says, words are unique just like people. They may seem to always come in pairs, or to have an opposite with whom they are often compared, or even seem hard to find just when we need them. But they can also be healing and give us the chance to shine. Share this book with anyone who enjoys word play, or who worries about saying the wrong thing. Remember, "Words can be tricky, but they're always here waiting for you."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katherine Davis-Gibbon is an award-winning children’s book author and mother of two. Her debut book, My Old Friend, Then, was a Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 Independent Press Awards and 2022 New York City Big Book Awards, as well as a Finalist in the 2022 American Book Fest’s Best Book Awards. Her second book, Words, is a Distinguished Favorite in the 2025 Independent Press Awards.

For more information, visit: www.riverletpress.com

https://www.instagram.com/riverletpress/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075626097180&locale=en_GB

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21894533.Katherine_Davis_Gibbon

TOUR SCHEDULE

Friday, April 4, 2025

The Children’s Book Review

Book Review of Words

Friday, April 4, 2025

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Book Review of Words

Monday, April 7, 2025