Written by Donna Guthrie
Illustrated by Åsa Gilland
Expected publication by Page Street Publishing: September 1, 2020
Mom's Review
Flibertigibbety Words is an imaginative take on Shakespeare's childhood. One morning, young William opens his window and in rushes a stream of words, which you will recognize as a line from one of his plays. As William chases the lines of verse through Avon, they change from scene to scene (you'll also recognize some scenes from his plays). In the end, he is given paper and pen and useful advice to write words, not chase them.
This delightful romp sparks creativity with its fun use of words; it inspires interest in Shakespeare's work through its visual and lyrical references to his work. Cute, whimsical, and fun, Flibbertigibbety Words makes Shakespeare appealing, not daunting. And being at a kid's level, all about his curiosity, the book demonstrates that children possess the inner qualities of imagination, curiosity, and creativity. It is worth noting that supporting male and female characters are depicted with a range of skin colors.
Flibbertigibbety Word is a winner. I'm pretty sure that the next few days will hold more readings of this and a dive back into A Stage Full of Shakespeare. (We covered that one in Spotlight on the Arts and I highly recommend it as a kids' version of his plays.)
Oh, be sure to peek under the dust jacket to see another cute illustration.
Son's Review
(Age: 5)
This arrived yesterday afternoon. T paged to through it to check if it looked any good. Since then, we had requests to read it at four different points before bed, and we began our day today with it.
If T would like to play with William:
Uh-huh – catching frogs because he seems like he wants to catch things.
If T recognized quotes:
No, I didn't. [When Mom helped], yes, a few of them I guess.
Why T's favorite page is where William descends the stairs:
It's cool – the picture of the unicorn, also how the stairs are drawn.
I also liked how you can see a monster [on the cauldron page]. There is no monster in Macbeth, you should know. That's what's weird about it.
What it's about:
It's about words.
What else T wants me to write:
I liked it. I really liked that book – that "when Shakespeare was little" book.
___________________________________________________
Later in the afternoon:
Dad, will you read me a good book? It's when Shakespeare was little. It's when Shakespeare was a kid, you should understand.
Even later in the evening:
There's a book I want to read. I want to read Flibberygibbery Words. I want to read Flibbitygibbity Words.
Before bed:
Mom, there's a book I'd like to read...*holds up Flibbertigibbety Words*
Note: A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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