The Dictionary Story
Original price was: $18.99.$15.22Current price is: $15.22.
Price: $18.99 - $15.22
(as of Mar 14, 2025 20:12:24 UTC – Details)
From the award-winning creative team of Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston comes an enchanting and imaginative picture book certain to delight word lovers of any age.
Dictionary wishes she could tell a story like other books. So one day, she decides to bring her words to life. How exciting it is to finally have an adventure on her very own pages! But what will she do when her characters collide and everything gets all in a jumble, causing the most enormous tantrum to explode? This isn’t what she wanted at all! Luckily her friend Alphabet knows exactly what to do and sings a song that brings calm and order to Dictionary’s pages once again.
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Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars 480
5.0 out of 5 stars 10
Read more from the creators!
A New York Times Bestseller! A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy and calling him away on an adventure. A lifetime of magic and adventure lies ahead of him… but who will be next? Once there were many stories in the world, stories with sunsets and dinosaurs. But one day, a story decided that it was the best, the most important story ever, and consumed the rest. Soon it seemed that the One was all there was… or was it?
Publisher : Candlewick (August 6, 2024)
Language : English
Hardcover : 56 pages
ISBN-10 : 1536235504
ISBN-13 : 978-1536235500
Reading age : 3 – 7 years
Grade level : Preschool – 2
Item Weight : 1.2 pounds
Dimensions : 8.31 x 0.53 x 11.38 inches
13 reviews for The Dictionary Story
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Original price was: $18.99.$15.22Current price is: $15.22.
Jan G. Vanderlinden –
Delightful, whimsical, great for kids
This book has such a delightful way of introducing children to letters, words, the alphabet and makes learning curious and fun. I liked it so much I’ve purchased 3 copies so far to give as gifts.
kate harris –
Book for all ages to enjoy
Fun read!
Kindle Customer –
Delightful amazing special!!
I love so much about The Dictionary Story! The story, the art, the definitions, the wonderful wacky mess of words and lines. It is delightful and a book that you will find something new each time you, or a child, reads it. I’m 64 and it makes me so happy.It celebrates chaos and order.
Boo –
Granddaughter loves it!
Our granddaughter enjoyed the story. Of course, she’s too young to appreciate the dictionary part of the book but it will be there when she’s ready. It would be nice, though, if Amazon delivery paid attention to the weather. This was delivered to an address in New Orleans while it was raining and had been for more than 24 hours. The replacement process was straightforward and speedy, but if steps had been taken to not leave it in the rain it would have not been necessary.
Rob S –
Words, reading, sequencing, definitions.
What could be better for a toddler!?
Natalie Bessette –
Favorite kids book of the year
What a unique, fun story! I love this book and so do my kids. Beautiful illustrations and a great way to incorporate literature for young kids. I will definitely be checking out more from this author!
Thomas Kelly –
We keep buying more
This is a fabulous book. We heard about it on NPR. We now keep buying them as gifts.
NBG –
I love this book!
My daughter and I read this book and got a huge kick out of it. The story is good already, but the definitions are hilarious 🙂
Progson –
Loved everything about this book and the collaboration between the co-creators. And it’s incredibly epic and beautiful!!
kafri12 –
Wir mögen die Bücher von Oliver Jeffers! Dieses Buch erzählt nicht so richtig eine Geschichte, obwohl es sich alle Mühe gibt! Dennoch hat es wieder einmal eine tolle Idee zugrunde, über die man länger nachsinnt als bei den meisten anderen Kinderbüchern.
James Stone –
From the very beginning, this book draws you into its world, gently introducing you to “Dictionary.” Before you realize it, you’re not just reading the book—you’re inside its pages.There are some lovely touches throughout. I especially enjoyed how the photographs of the book are perfectly aligned with the page folds of the story itself. It’s a simple but thoughtful detail, perhaps the only way it could have been done, but beautiful nonetheless the less.At first, I assumed the physical book might just serve as a prop to advance the story. But knowing Sam Winston’s work, I suspected there was more to it. The whimsical definition of “alligator” confirmed my hunch—each word in this book has its own specially crafted, humorous meaning. While it may seem like a typical children’s book at first glance, it’s clear that its depth elevates it beyond that.Illustrators often incorporate old books for texture and style, but here, it’s done with a purpose. The words themselves are integral to the story’s progression, woven seamlessly into the narrative—genius.The story unfolds effortlessly, and it’s obvious that Sam and Oliver had a great time collaborating. In many cases, illustrators don’t even meet the authors they work with, but here, you can sense the creative exchange between them. One couldn’t have existed without the other.As the story builds, so does the intensity, reflected not only in the pacing but also in the beautifully dynamic illustrations and clever fragmentation of the typography.I won’t give away the story, but I highly recommend this book.*P.S. Given how beautifully Oliver’s previous works like “Lost and Found” and “Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth” translated to the screen, I can’t help but think this one would make an excellent animated film too.*
Roger Perrault –
The book took seven odd years to complete. It is in two parts. A simple story for young people of words coming to life in a dictionary. The illustrations are extraordinary. The second part is dictionary words defined throughout but not with definitions that you would finds in a real dictionary. Some are a real hoot!It really is a book for all ages.
Laura swift –
Oliver Jeffers is my favourite children’s author and the children love his books. All ages. So do I! This one is a beautiful story with great illustrations- fab gift