The Very Inappropriate Word
Written By: Jim Tobin
Illustrated by: Dave Coverly
Published: 2013
Michael LOVES words. He sees words everywhere and collects them in a box under his bed. He loves hard words for soft things, small words for big things, and easy words for hard things. Overall, I loved the concept of this book. I loved that it showed a physical representation of a child who is intrigued by words. I loved how it made each word "look" like what the word meant. I loved how the "very inappropriate word" looks hairy and nasty. Each time it appeared on the page, it made my toes curl a bit!
The Very Inappropriate Word is a great book to keep on hand in a classroom, especially in elementary school. Kids have a tendency to just repeat what their parents say or phrases they pick up from movies or TV. These terms aren't always appropriate, but often children don't realize exactly what the word means. This book is an excellent way to show students why certain words are inappropriate, while also giving them alternative words to use. I personally don't think that it would be an issue to have this book in a classroom. Most kids are being exposed to inappropriate language all of the time, so it's not like they are hearing about the concept of naughty words for the first time in this book. If it were to include various inappropriate words in the book, then I would completely understand people being apprehensive towards this book.
I would love to get this book for my classroom. It might be a good idea to keep it on the "teacher shelf" at first, but once it has been introduced to the class through a read aloud, then it can be placed in the classroom library for rereading. I quite enjoyed The Very Inappropriate Word and look forward to using it in my future classroom. I give it 3.5 stars.
I would defined read this book. What is more important than teaching children the power of words.
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