"On the way home, Calvin puts me
on the seat next to him.
When one of the big kids grabs a
little kid's pencil box, Calvin grabs
it away from him and gives it back to her.
Now you know why the page that reads
COURAGEOUS has pencil scribbles on it.
Calvin thinks there is no way that's the right
word for his brother - but maybe for
himself .... "
Calvin is always looking for the perfect word. To that end, he is never seen without his dictionary. He brings it to breakfast in the morning, takes it with him on the school bus, has it with him during class time, and even when he goes to the library. Boarding the bus for the return trip home, it sits right by his side.
Those who read this book will find it amusing that the narrator is the dictionary itself. As well as that, they will get a kick out of Calvin's responses to his brother's timely jokes; after one, Calvin snorts milk from his nose, and another time, chewed broccoli from his mouth. He spends this particular day trying to think up a word to deal with his brother. Revenge? No, not quite right. Retaliation? That's not it either.
Bedtime, Calvin is still in search of the right word. The dictionary goes under the bed, in need of a break. When least expected, Calvin and his dictionary are up and roaming the house. The dictionary is again helpful when coming up with the 'just right' word. The prank is pulled, and hilarity ensues.
The words Calvin finds in his dictionary throughout the day are presented in bold typeface. They are defined on the endpapers, and their context is clear within the story. Mike Deas' watercolor artwork is action-filled, humorous and appealing.
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