FICTION

Babble!: And How Punctuation Saved It

by Caroline Adderson (text) & illus. by Roman Muradov
Tundra. Oct. 2022. 72p. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9780735265837.
COPY ISBN
K-Gr 4–The village of Babble makes no sense. Sentences and thoughts run together and there is no logic in speech. Then a small child with a mysterious bag of interesting symbols brings order to life and thought. In this humorous parable, periods, commas, question marks, and especially exclamation points help organize life and even save the life of a drowning child. Told in a fairy-tale format, this story humorously clarifies readers’ age-old questions on the need for punctuation rules. The frightening message of “Soon we will eat Grandpa” can, with the simple addition of a comma, become the much more appetizing, “Soon we will eat, Grandpa.” The illustrations in muted brown are hazy and of not much interest. But the story itself will make children laugh and learn in equal measure.
VERDICT Recommended for classroom use as well as for independent reading; this useful parable teaches a memorable lesson on the necessity of good punctuation skills.
Reviewed by Eva Elisabeth VonAncken , Jul 15, 2022

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BLOGS

Holiday Gift Guide: Six Inclusive MG Fantasies, a guest post by Marieke Nijkamp
by Amanda MacGregor
BOOKS

Gracie Under the Waves
by Park, Linda Sue
BOOKS

Make My Wish Come True
by Lippincott, Rachael & Alyson Derrick
BOOKS

My Weird School Special: Hip, Hip, Hooray! Every Day Is a Holiday!
by Gutman, Dan
BOOKS

Ramadan on Rahma Road: A Recipe Storybook
by Gutta, Razeena Omar & Faaiza Osman
BOOKS

Big Changes for Plum!
by Phelan, Matt
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?