“The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus”
by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2014, 41 pages, Grades 3-5.
For most people, writing is far more difficult than reading. In reading, the story is already crafted by someone else and readers then decode the script. Readers do not have to create the story.
Writers, on the other hand, have to invent the text and then carefully choose the correct words to transmit their ideas. English teachers are loath to admit this, but writing is much more arduous and painful than reading.
Some books offering literary assistance are dictionaries and thesauruses. While dictionaries list the meaning of words, thesauruses list synonyms, or different words with a similar meaning. It is almost impossible to write effectively without both of these writing aids. The most famous thesaurus in the English language was written by Peter Roget. Jen Bryant tells the very interesting story behind its creation in her book, “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus.”
When Peter Roget was a young boy, his father died. Being a shy child, he took to solitary endeavors and proved to be an outstanding student. At 8, he started compiling lists of all sorts of things. Being unsure of where to start, Peter made a list of all the Latin words he knew. Then he gave the English translation next to it. His mother became alarmed when she saw him delving deeper and deeper into books and learning, rather than playing games outdoors with other boys. Peter liked the outdoors, however, and frequently visited the gardens of London. There he made lists of all the plants and insects he could see. He kept doing this for years and his mother complained that all the boy ever did was write and write.
Peter was so brilliant that he entered medical school in Edinburgh at 14 years old. He studied so hard that he graduated from medical school at the age of 19. Unfortunately, he was so young that he was not allowed to practice medicine. Fortunately, a rich man needed a tutor for his two sons and hired the young doctor to oversee the boys in Paris and other beautiful locations in Europe.
During his travels, Roget continued to build his word lists. His fascination with words and the English language continued to grow. Finally, he decided to publish a book with all of his word lists. In 1852, he named the book “Thesaurus,” which is Greek for “treasure house.” (Text, page not numbered.) One thousand copies were published. How would the Thesaurus be received?
Was the Thesaurus a success? How intricate must a thinker be to create a thesaurus? Why is a thesaurus so helpful? Have you ever used a thesaurus? (I have already used one for this column.) Why is Roget’s Thesaurus one of the most famous books in the English language? To find out, go to the library and check out this fascinating and delightfully illustrated book, “The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus” by Jen Bryant.
This book was an American Library Association Caldecott Honor Medal book for 2015. Additionally, it won the American Library Association Sibert Medal for the outstanding information book of the year in 2015.
This book should be read with an older child or in a group setting. The pictures are interesting and amusing, but the text describes the complicated linguistic task of compiling a thesaurus. Advanced readers will likely not have a problem with this, but struggling readers would gain more from the book if it were read in a group setting. In any case, I hope you get a chance to read this fine book. Enjoy!
