The Kingfisher illustrated junior dictionary

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

More than 4,000 words are defined and every page contains full color photographs and illustrations to clarify and expand on the definitions. The illustrations are close to but not always exactly positioned so that it is clear to which term it belongs, but this is not a major problem. The word to be defined is printed in red and the text that follows is printed in black. It frequently provides plurals for nouns, verb forms, the part of speech, and a definition. Sometimes there is a sentence using the word or a pronunciation guide or an antonym/homonym. There also are cross-references and large illustrations, such as the one that identifies the bicycle's major parts and provides more definitions in a vocabulary box. There are shaded entries that provide kids with a mini thesaurus; for example, on the bicycle page there was a mini-thesaurus for the word "big." Special feature pages cover topics such as mammals, plants, the solar system and musical instruments. It is a useful dictionary and targeted to a younger audience than the Macmillan Dictionary for Children or the Scholastic Children's Dictionary. The latter are much more comprehensive in scope and more even in their presentation of the material.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4Given the many high-quality children's dictionaries available, one must wonder why anyone needs yet another. This one justifies itself by serving a slightly different audience. While The Kingfisher First Dictionary (1995) is for new readers, and more standard tools such as Scholastic Children's Dictionary (1996) are for competent mid-elementary school readers, this book is for children in that small gap between the two. It introduces students to such standard dictionary features as alphabetical arrangement, guide words, and a simplified pronunciation guide. The notes on using the tool are easy to understand while the many colorful photographs and drawings serve to both illustrate words and reassure young readers. The word list is less comprehensive than that of many children's dictionaries, but includes definitions for up-to-date terminology such as cyberspace, rap (music), and mouse (computer). Though the accessible format and typeface, numerous illustrations, and easy definitions make this resource useful for newly independent readers, the shorter word list limits its reference value. With its handsome appearance, it may be better used in circulating collections.Danita Nichols, New York Public Library