Review by Booklist Review
After a short introduction to languages and language families, this easy-to-read overview discusses 21 languages in colorful double-page spreads. Each presentation includes a brief history and boxes focused on specifics: translated numbers, phrases, and a conversation, as well as characteristics of the language and its pronunciation. An attractive map accompanies the list of countries where the language is spoken. The book's concluding section looks at nonverbal languages, such as sign language, semaphore, and Morse code. Two double-page maps, showing how to say hello and good-bye in 48 different languages, use pointers to indicate the locations, languages, and appropriate greetings. In addition to digitally created maps and graphs, the illustrations include many small photos and cartoonlike images. Webb pulls together a great deal of information and presents it in a useful and interesting way. An appealing choice for kids intrigued by languages or geography, this clearly written book will fill a gap in many library collections.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Webb provides a solid introduction to world languages using charts, sidebars, and maps. Following an opening sections discussing the importance of language, its evolution, language families, and invented languages (such as Tolkien's Elvish and Star Trek's Klingon), Webb moves on to examine the history, pronunciations, and characteristics of 21 verbal languages including Arabic, Zulu, Russian, and Hindi-Urdu. The graphic format allows for easy comparison between languages, allowing readers to flip back and forth to study how greetings, numbers, and simple conversations vary between languages. Sign language, semaphore, Morse code, and even animal communication (like the "waggle dance" of honeybees) get brief treatment in pages devoted to nonverbal languages. Would-be polyglots ought to find it "Harika!" (that's Turkish for great). Ages 8-12. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-This charming title provides a brief overview of the history of language. It opens with a map of continents, explaining how to say, "Hello" in 48 languages (there's a similar map at the end for "Good-bye"). Twenty-one languages are discussed, from Arabic to Quecha, with a spread devoted to each. Each recto features a map, which points out countries where the language is spoken, a picture of the flag of the relevant nation, and a short history of the language. The verso offers some basic conversation terms and pronunciation tips and explains how to count to 10. The alphabet of each language is also included, with a pronunciation guide. Readers will appreciate the eclectic inclusion of nontraditional language: nonverbal languages (computer code, American Sign Language), made-up languages (Klingon, Elvish), and animal communication. The clearly written text is informational and interesting, laid out in colorful dialogue boxes. The busy presentation style can be distracting at times. The spreads feature cartoonlike pictures of people, crowded together, with a few brightly colored images popping out of the muted background. Color photographs are incorporated at the beginning and end. VERDICT A solid springboard book for introducing new languages and countries.-Tamara Saarinen, Pierce County Library, WA © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Twenty-one languages, including Swahili, Mandarin, and Quechua, are given spreads containing a map indicating where the language is spoken; a short history; an alphabet and pronunciation guide; and examples of greetings, numbers, and a brief dialogue. An absence of syllable stresses in the examples makes pronunciation useless, but back matter on nonverbal, sign language, code, and animal communication adds interest. Glos., ind. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
With just a bit of practice children will come away from this quick but sweeping linguistic look-see able to exchange greetings and a "How are you doing?" with anyone (almost) anywhere in the world.Following a dash past language's origins and families, Webb introduces 21 tonguesliterally, as signed languages are clumped with semaphore and other codes in a mop-up chapter at the end. At one double-page spread per language, each is given a thumbnail history, a linguistic map, translations of the numbers one through 10, pronunciation notes and a set of conversational words or phrases from "Hello" to "I'm fine, thank you" or, conversely, "Not so good." He also tacks on an alphabet (Pinyin for Mandarin Chinese, Devanagari script for Hindi-Urdu) and, in catchall boxes on each spread, comments on scripts, loan words, and one or two distinctive orthographic or grammatical features. Including English, 10 of his selections are European languages, but he also tucks in a few choices from elsewhere such as Quechua and Zulu plus, in passing, samples at least of Esperanto, Klingon and even "Textese," LOL. Lest he be accused of leaving anything out, the author closes with a glance at various forms of animal communication. Eurocentric, not to mention overly ambitiousbut being able to say some variant of "Not so hot" in Belarus, Brazil or any point between has to count for something. (index) (Nonfiction. 10-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
