Franklin's Picture Dictionary

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

What better way to introduce young children to the use and workings of a
dictionary than with characters and events already familiar to them from
the Franklin stories? And what better way to motivate parents to buy
this book?

Boasting more than 1,000 entries, each section is introduced with both
upper- and lower-case letters, an illustration, and an alliterative
sentence featuring words beginning with that letter. The alphabet is
printed across the top of each double-page spread, with the featured
letter highlighted, enabling children to note its relative location
within the alphabet.

Franklin’s Picture Dictionary follows the common two-column format.
Each word entry is presented with a simple sentence of explanation and
an illustration, which is often linked to one of the Franklin
storybooks. On occasion, children are encouraged to get involved when
the explanatory sentence is in the form of a question (e.g., the entry
for “grouchy” shows Franklin, clearly unhappy, and asks, “Why is
Franklin grouchy?”). Variant forms and word endings are indicated in a
lighter type.

Word lists (e.g., common and high-frequency words, numbers up to 20,
days, months, seasons) are found at the end of the book. A particularly
noteworthy example of this is the section titled “Parts of a
Turtle.” Children are asked to compare and contrast a turtle’s body
with that of a human.

A special section for parents/caregivers includes suggestions for a
wide variety of activities to extend and enhance learning. The need for
adult participation and/or supervision is emphasized.

Colourful and attractively designed, this sturdily bound first
reference book will stand up to plenty of use from preschool and
primary-grade children in a school setting or at home. Recommended.