Merriam-Webster's Primary Dictionary

• Format: Laminated hardcover
• Pages: 448
• Size: 8 3/4 X 11 1/8
• Weight: 3lbs., 3oz.

Key Features:

• Literary References: Engaging allusions to famous fairy tales, myths, nursery rhymes and other writings by well-known authors.
• Example Sentences: Different meanings and forms of the headword are illustrated with intriguing sentences designed to clarify meaning and add to the information given in the definition.
• Stories: Brief retellings of famous stories from legend and lore with accompanying illustrations engage young readers and encourage further language exploration.
• Pronunciation Sounds: An amusing look at the various sounds and patterns of spoken English.
• Jokes: A rich collection of riddles based on word play tickle the funny bone while building a child's awareness of language.
• Part of Speech: Part-of-speech labels identify the role each headword plays in a sentence.
• Explanatory Paragraph: Definitions are written in a way that is easy for young children to understand.
• Word History: Interesting information about how words come to be and sometimes change in meaning enrich a child's understanding of language.
• Look-It-Up Note: Cross-references chosen for interest and ease of association introduce children to the idea of looking for specific related information elsewhere in the dictionary.
• Related Words: Short lists of additional words and phrases spark imagination and vocabulary-building by introducing children to synonyms and antonyms.
• Riddles: Clever and wonderfully silly riddles based on Untitled1word play encourage young readers to have fun with language.
• Head Scratchers: Like the jokes, "Head Scratchers" are meant for fun and serve to point up some of the true oddities of the English language.
• Poems: Original and classic rhymes and poems emphasize or play on words discussed in the entry block/

About the Author:
Ruth Heller, called a 'superstar' of children's literature by San Francisco Magazine, wrote and illustrated a total of 23 fiction and nonfiction children's books before her death in 2004. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley with a degree in fine arts, she lived in San Francisco and raised two sons before venturing into the fields of freelance design and commercial art. After refining her skills at Yaddo, an artist's colony in upstate New York, her writing career was launched in 1981 with the publication of Chickens Aren't the Only Ones. Throughout her life, she was a frequent guest speakers at schools and libraries, where she loved teaching children about grammar and nature and entertaining them with her detailed, colorful drawings and delightful word play.

About Merriam-Webster:
With the publication of Merriam-Webster's Alphabet Book, Merriam-Webster continues to uphold its long-standing commitment to help students of all ages cultivate their love of language. Merriam-Webster dictionaries are written to reflect the abilities and understanding of specific age groups and reading levels. Word lists contained in each volume are based on Merriam-Webster editors' ongoing research into vocabulary for individual grade levels.

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