Only fussbudgets and smellfunguses would reject this as bafflegab for sesquipedalians.
A razzle-dazzle roster of locutions sufficient to warm the heartstrings of any logophile.
Steering (to the disappointment, no doubt, of much of her potential audience) clear of curses and sexual slang, Lazar compiles a generous glossary of uncommon words that pack a big punch. Why, for instance, just wander around the mall when you can gallivant with a frenemy? Shop for gewgaws and gimcracks? Chow down on Frankenfood to keep from getting hangry? Digestibly, if often arbitrarily, arranged in small groups beneath broad sections like “G.O.A.T.” for superlatives and “All the Feels” for expressing highs and lows, each entry comes with pronunciation, part of speech, a one-line (usually) definition, and a sample sentence. Individual notes on the cultures or languages from which borrowed selections come are hit or miss, but the author does tuck in occasional linguistic summary charts plus, more often, sidebar etymologies, usage histories, and short tallies of anagrams, eggcorns, mondegreens, and like flimflammery. As further inspiration to level up in talk and texts, she closes by inviting readers to invent their own portmanteaus or “crashwords,” as did that unexcelled master of neologisms Roald Dahl, and see if any stick. Mayhall’s colorful and playful cartoon vignettes add to the fun and show human characters with diverse skin tones.
Only fussbudgets and smellfunguses would reject this as bafflegab for sesquipedalians. (index) (Nonfiction. 9-13)Pub Date: Jan. 2, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-4926-9742-8
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Sourcebooks eXplore
Review Posted Online: Oct. 12, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2021
An introduction to ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs buried in the Valley of the Kings. The authors begin with how archaeologist Howard Carter found the tomb of King Tut, then move back 3,000 years to the time of Thutmosis I, who built the first tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finally they describe the building of the tomb of a later Pharaoh, Ramses II. The backward-forward narration is not always easy to follow, and the authors attribute emotions to the Pharaohs without citation. For example, “Thutmosis III was furious [with Hatshepsut]. He was especially annoyed that she planned to be buried in KV 20, the tomb of her father.” Since both these people lived 3,500 years ago, speculation on who was furious or annoyed should be used with extreme caution. And the tangled intrigue of Egyptian royalty is not easily sorted out in so brief a work. Throughout, though, there are spectacular photographs of ancient Egyptian artifacts, monuments, tomb paintings, jewels, and death masks that will appeal to young viewers. The photographs of the exposed mummies of Ramses II, King Tut, and Seti I are compelling. More useful for the hauntingly beautiful photos than the text. (brief bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-7922-7223-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: National Geographic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
How and when the Western Hemisphere, particularly North and South America, came to be populated continues to be both mysterious and controversial for scientists. Archaeologists plug away with the tools at their disposal but have “more questions than answers.” Harrison does a good job setting the issue in context. He describes the earliest efforts to identify the original inhabitants of the continents, exploring the Clovis culture, believed by many to be the first humans to reach North America. After clearly explaining how scholars decided that they were first, he then lists the arguments against this hypothesis. In the course of looking at both sides, he introduces young readers to “the strict rules of archaeology.” The author demonstrates the precise work of those attempting to understand the hidden aspects of human history and how many of these old questions are seen in the light of new technologies and discoveries. The narrative is aided by both photographs and original illustrations that imagine scenes from both the distant past and the field experiences. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59078-561-4
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Boyds Mills
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2010
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