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13 Words (2010)

by Lemony Snicket(Favorite Author)

3.78 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0061664669 (ISBN13: 9780061664663)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

HarperCollins Canada / Other

review 1: Don't get me wrong: This is a high-quality book....but the words and art are in such a realm beyond the typical children's picture book, that the average child won't grasp their full depth (as neither do I). I myself felt I was missing something after a cold read, and needed to go study-up on the artist's style, as compared to the styles of similar art masters, and how Snicket's words work together for the full experience.But until I spend the time studying all that, I am left confused, with a strong desire to understand. (I know, I'm rambling, but that's how the book left me.)
review 2: It’s Lemony Snicket, so it’s a given that this book is going to be a bit offbeat. To begin with, in this story your child will be exposed to several new words—mezzo-sopra... moreno, panache, haberdashery, and so on—but more to the point, your children will subtly be taught the troubling concept of despondency, and how nothing—not keeping busy, not solicitous friends nor special treats—can necessarily cure this. It’s a troubling lesson to learn, but I suppose in general, it’s a lesson gently taught. Softening—or at least distracting from--this rather bleak storyline are the illustrations: a riotous assortment of seemingly random depictions (although with Snickett, is anything truly random), ranging from a work of Kafka to an angel to a kangaroo to a painting of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino. The end result is a work that is essential Lemony Snickett--the man knows how to balance important life lessons with big words and surreal, quirky illustrations. less

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