Book Description

One photograph can say more than a thousand words. My Big Book of Everything takes young children on a thrilling visual journey, revealing much more than first words.

Come for a magic carpet ride -- out of your home, into the countryside, and far beyond. Run through a field of colorful wildflowers; drive a giant dump truck around a bumpy building site; swim with a school of dazzling fish deep under the sea; mingle with a herd of striped zebras grazing on the hot African plains; hold on tight as you ride the waves in a sturdy fishing trawler. One photograph can say more than a thousand words. Packed with over 800 photographs, My Big Book of Everything reveals countless sights, colors, and ideas. It takes young children on a thrilling visual journey, revealing much more than first words. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great book
My 18 month old twins just love turning the pages of this book and looking at all the pictures. I bought this book when they were less than a year old, and they would be overjoyed when I would sit down with them and point out and name the different objects on the page. Now that they are older, they want to hold the book and turn the pages for themselves and in the process have torn many pages of this much loved book. I think this book is a great teaching tool for parents of young children.

Worth the buy (again) for my younger children
This is the third time I am purchasing this book. The first two were so loved and worn that the pages eventually fell out. Now my two year old is interested in naming everything under the sun, and he deserves his own Big Book of Everything. If he wears through this one before my 6 month old is ready for it, I'd buy a fourth.

Not just for 4 and up...
I've given this book (and its earlier editions) often as a new-baby gift for babies in the US and abroad. I feel that it's a great present for non-native speakers, because of all the words you only learn in your native language!

My granddaughter, age 22 months has loved it for about the last year, as have other very young children I know. For a while, she called it "a book" -- that is, the only one she really acknowledged. She's now branched out to other books but still enjoys identifying the photos in this one. She doesn't care if they're obscure, she likes discussing them, and her favorite pages vary over time. Like the other reviewers, I'll soon be buying a new copy as the first one is wearing out. Maybe the publisher should consider a hard-page edition.

Visual Journey
My first impression was that this book was overly stocked with pictures. However, on a second look I could see the benefit of grouping items together and putting many items on one page. You can teach many items that relate to other items you will find in your home or in the world as you travel.

This is a visual journey for children that includes 800 brilliantly colorful pictures. Even the inside covers are "covered" with pictures. For the young child, you can start with the familiar items around the home like a lamp, a vase, a telephone, bed, toothpaste and highchair.

The section on clothes teaches all the basics...then onto the toys. That will most likely be one of the favorite areas in this book. Cooking and baking might encourage more adventure in the kitchen. Maybe using this book to introduce a child to the names of kitchen essentials will get them interested in making something delicious.

Other sections include: Food to eat, Fruit, vegetables, In the workshop, Flowers and plants, Weather, and Seasons and times. Then onto: On the farm, In the countryside (love the meadow picture!), Big Animals, Small animals, Baby animals, Birds. The theme changes constantly and next you will see hot-air balloons and everything that flies in the sky.

Children who live in the city will love: In the sea, At the seaside, Noises, Animal noises (you have to love the mouse on this page!). Children in the country will love: In the city, Buildings, Building machines, Shopping (yummy markets and bookstores). In the jobs people do, children are dressed up in each of the main job descriptions.

"Me and My Body" is a section to explain the names of the mouth, back, eyelashes, teeth..etc. Things we do such as crying, touching, eating, throwing a ball, hiding, laughing are all pictured with the word of the activity. Shapes and patters lists the main shapes at the top of the page and then you can find the patterns and shapes in what you see in the pictures.

For instance, the red square looks like the windows and the star looks like the starfish. The counting section is especially tasty with all sorts of candies to count.

Then, the next page opens and you see hills, deserts, a waterfall, a river, a volcano and much more. Each word has a picture and each picture is a delightful look at the world around us. To easily find a word your child is learning...just use the handy index to look up words like store, toothbrush, jaguar, cyclist or even beach.

Here's what I missed in my other review!
I neglected to mention that we own two copies of this book. My daughter's is so worn with use and has enough pages torn by her toddler hands that we purchased a second one for my son. Also, I agree with the reviewer who described using the book by focusing on the familiar and temporarily skipping over other topics. We did/do this as well. Eventually, however, our children have come to enjoy the entire book, and have definitely learned from it. ... Read more

Book Description

Readers will find much to admire in this handsomely illustrated introduction to twenty-eight types of jets. Learn how a jet engine works, fly aboard a Nighthawk Stealth Fighter, and find out more about jets like the Concord, the U-2 spy plane, the Goblin, and the Vertijet.

Illustrated entirely on computer, the book is sure to appeal to young children learning the alphabet, older readers discovering the world of jets, or adult aviation aficionados. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

suitable for a wide range of ages
I bought this book for my airplane-aficionado son when he was far too young to appreciate all of the advanced details about the jets. No problem - it's a great book to go through, looking at the pictures, and reading just what each letter stands for, starting with "A is for Aerocomet". It was the best airplane book we've found for little kids. Now that he's five, I'm reading the whole thing, every word. It stands up better than most to repeated rereadings.

The Jet Alphabet Book
The Jet Alphabet Book is really good because it has my favorite jet is in it; the SR-71 Blackbird. I really like that kind of jet because it can go 3 times the speed of sound and flies so high and so fast the pilot needs to wear a spacesuit and I recomend this book to children ages 4+.

Jet Alphabet Book
My 2 year old son loves this book. He requests it and has "read" it over and over. He can pick out and name specific jets by their shape and color. Illustrations are realistic. Not only does this book show both capital and lower case letters, it also shows an example of jets that begin with each letter. Information about current and past jets, some history, and a little about how they work. ... Read more

Book Description

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary covers a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, physics, biology, geology, meteorology, astronomy, ecology, and zoology. Its definitions are written in a clear and straightforward style that even beginning students can follow. An extensive cross-reference program encourages readers to build a more complex vocabulary.

The dictionary includes

• more than 4,500 entry words with clear, easy-to-understand definitions

• more than 425 full-color photographs and drawings

• 175 Feature Notes on important scientific concepts, the major discoveries of many scientists, and the usage and history of scientific terminology

• detailed graphic treatment of selected subjects, such as the structure of atoms, photosynthesis, plate tectonics, and the life of stars

• handy tables and charts, including the periodic table of the elements, a chart of geologic time, and a timeline of advances in computing.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary is the ideal resource for homework assignments, school projects, or just browsing. This book is the key to unlocking the language of science and the natural world for students and their families. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The kids all agree it's "COOL"
I bought this book for my 11 year old son. Our encyclopedia set was a bit overwhelming for him so I thought a science dictionary would be less intimidating. He just loves it. He spends hours just flipping pages and reading entries that interest him. Definitions are concise yet not over simplified with plenty of examples and pictures to keep everything clear. Major topics are discussed in length making this more than just a dictionary. I enjoy browsing through it myself. Science is fascinating when properly explained. He brought it to school and the other kids all agreed that this book is "cool". This is an excellent book for adults and children. This is a must have book for your reference collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Most dictionaries seem lopsided--words, words, words! What about the right side of your brain? If you've ever been frustrated with a written definition that didn't quite evoke the sweaty, dirty reality of its subject, the DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary should have a place on your reference shelf. Created by the image wizards at Dorling Kindersley and the emperors of etymology at Oxford University Press, this 1,000-page tome contains 180,000 clear, up-to-date entries and over 5,000 sharp color pictures that are perfect matches for the words they seek to explain.

Also valuable are the simple, informative reference pages; physical and political maps, calendars and units of measure, and rules of style all shine from the page with the intensity of a laser (see diagram, p. 457). Whether you want a more intimate knowledge of gearbox than "the casing that encloses a set of gears" or a visual awareness of the tiniest parts of an insect's body--or even just a high-quality book of words--the DK Illustrated Oxford Dictionary is the clear choice. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Wonderful Dictionary - Despite Minor Flaws.
The other reviewers are right: This is a beautifully illustrated dictionary, fun to browse and hard to put down. It really is great for getting young people interested in words and research, and fosters the love of learning. Although my daughter is only in the 4th grade, she enjoys this dictionary - which will really be more appropriate for her in a few years. But despite its overall excellence, there are a few minor flaws. For instance, in the printing that I have, the word "Mississippi" has been left out! Neither the state nor river is there - no listing at all. All the other US states are there. I found that strange, especially since all the pages are properly numbered; none have been omitted. The other minor annoyance was that when I contacted DK, the publisher, I got no response at all. These minor problems aside, the gorgeous illustrations in this book still merits 4 stars in my opinion.

Best Illustrated Dictionary for Adults
If you are looking for illustrated dictionary for adults, please go ahead and buy this one. Its a bargain for the quality and utility it has got for an adult looking to know more about different things.

Its not an encyclopedia. It is not intended to be. It illustrated pictorially what a word means whenever possible. I want to know what a cathedral is I turn to Ca and find the word cathedral. I look at the picture and also notice what different parts are called.

There are more than 4000 pictures. Other books boast of 2000 pictures but all they have are small pictures with very less information. But I dont like one thing. It doesnot have enough crossreferences. I guess they had to keep this book concise.

certain words make sense only when u see the pictures. Compared to online dictionaries and encyclopedias I prefer this one as I can relax and browse this when I travel rather than carry a laptop around and strain my eyes seeing the LCD for hours.

Really great book.
I bought a copy of this book.
Its really good. Lot of pictures
The words have good meanings specially the ones that reuire a picture.

A dictionary you will love...
I used this dictionary to look up a word on about the third day I owned it. I was delightfully surprised to find pictures! There are over 4,500 color images to give instant visual definitions and they help to bring unfamiliar items to life and they add a deeper understanding of the words.

600 illustrated feature panels also provide in-depth information on topics such as: technology, natural history, art and music. There are also hundreds of new words and phrases from voice mail to sport utility vehicle which gives an up-to-date appeal to this book.

This might just be the most authoritative and accessible illustrated dictionary of American English available today. With 187,000 definitions and entries and an easy-to-use thumb index...it is the only dictionary I will be using at home when I don't want to go look up a word online.

This work represents the collaboration between DK and Oxford. Oxford has published dictionaries for over 150 years. DK is well known for their visually stunning books.

The pictures really help to give your eyes a break from an overwhelming number of words and definitions. I especially liked the picture of the ocelot on page 565. On page 132 they have listed many of the main cat breeds with pictures.

I could not resist looking up: condescending...to see if it really didn't say what it meant. Only because the reviewer before me said it seemed to convey a different meaning. I guess maybe they only read Condescend. You decide after reading the definition....

Condescend: Behave as if one is on equal terms with (an inferior), while maintaining an attitude of superiority. or Condescending: Patronizing.

The Reference Section includes a Political Map of the World, A Physical map of the World, Countries of the World and their flags, The Night Sky, Measurements, the Periodic Table, Time Periods, Wedding Anniversaries, Birthstones, Time Zones, States of the US, Presidents of the US, Books of the Bible, The Living World (classification system), The Animal Kingdom (classification of the animal kingdom) and a section on Grammar and Style.

A work of Art!

Great Illustrations but lacks some important features!
This dictionary is an "Eye Candy" as it fascinated me by its colorful illustrations, good quality paper, etc. But I was dismayed, when I had to look for the meaning "condescend". The definition given is not so clear and almost connotes the opposite of the real meaning. Also, they gave the meaning as "patronize" and when I looked for the meaning for patronize they gave the definition as condescend!!! (DK-OUP, the definitions gotta be clearer, guys!)

It also lacks the important features like etymology, word history, usage, etc that most collegiate dictionaries have.

If you are only concerned about the illustrations, you can go-ahead and buy this. But if you are looking for something to enrich your English Knowledge, you are better off with a college dictionary like Random House's, Microsoft Encarta, Merriam Webster, etc, or better yet, with Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary by AS Hornby.

Yet, there is something singular in the dictionary that makes me read it often. I guess, it is the colorful gorgeous illustrations and flawless print. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Definite entertainer+educator
My 3yr3month old daughter got this as a present 3 days ago from a visiting relative. She absolutely loved this. She is a very active girl who doesn't like to sit at one place for long. And she was sitting " all by her self" with this book in a couch the day after she got this book and turning pages and observing what is in it. She wants us to read this book to her and doesn't want to stop after 4-5 pages, which she usually does.
Some of the pictures and the titles below the pictures can be confusing(that's why only 4 stars) but not too many. On the whole, I recommend this book.

Kids will love
I got this for my 3-year old grandson. He is a slow talker. This book has pictures you can identify on the side, then ask them for find them in the picture. He had a great time with it. It has many pages of look and find pictures of all areas, from characters, to seasons, to colors, etc. He has spent hours with it. It is a great book and I heartily recommend it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A decades-old dictionary that you can still use today (and know that children will love it) is an amazing testament to the genius of the Seuss stable.The roughly 12-per-page colored drawings are dated, of course--the humans far more than the animals, funnily enough--but they've aged in a way that adds to their charm rather than detracting from it. (Phonograph may take some explaining; ditto typewriter, which we recently heard described as "like a computer, only with paper instead of a screen.") The 1,350 words are well balanced between the obvious stuff--common nouns and verbs--and more abstract language, from about to yet. Each word is accompanied by a drawing and an illustrative sentence.Along the way, naturally, we meet a wacky menagerie of humans and animals: "Aaron the alligator making more machines," "Aunt Ada standing on her head," etc. (Ages 4 to 8) --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Timeless classic-childhood favorite
I had this book when I was a child, and I absolutely LOVED it! (I'm 34, now). I referred to it over and over throughout primary school. I really enjoyed the pictures, and I think it helped me with my vocabulary in school. (My reading level was always at least 4-5 grade levels above the grade I was currently in). I am purchasing this book for my baby, so he will have it to use when he needs it. (I wore the other one out long ago).

Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary
This book has beautiful Dr. Seuss pictures to clearly illustrate simple words for beginning readers. The only thing I don't like about the book is that it doesn't have written definitions as well.

Excellent for beginners !
A successful combination of words and pictures. The relevant words are highlighted. ... Read more

Book Description

Written to help the high school student succeed, this revised edition contains 100,000 entries, more than 1,000 revised illustrations, abundant word history paragraphs, synonym paragraphs, and example sentences. ... Read more

Book Description

Containing more than 130 entries of the most important people, places, and events of the Civil War, this handy reference book is great for browsing and is also a compact introduction to the Civil War and to mid-nineteenth-century America. Designed especially for children in upper-elementary and early junior-high grades, each cogent entry is self-contained and full of vivid lore. Organized alphabetically, the entries cover many facets of the war-including slavery, Abraham Lincoln's role as president, nursing, generals, battles, and the home front. Chock-full of historical photographs, drawings, and maps, this entertaining guide is an invaluable companion to any study of the Civil War. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent and absorbing introduction to the Civil War
_____This is an excellent and absorbing introduction to the Civil War. Arranged alphabetically this book will be good starting point for anyone researching the Civil War. The glossary and timeline are helpful additions.

_____While this book is simple to use, the information is riveting. Mention is made of not only important soldiers, but also individuals involved with the Abolition movement, nurses, photographers, Blacks, among others who are identified with this era. The actual pictures of events and people and maps add to the overall usefulness of the book. Readers will definitely want to learn more about the war. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best Oxford Dictionary Ever!
Most of the Oxford Picture Dictionaries seem too complicated or too cumbersome to use easily. This dictionary can really help a student trying to do homework in English. It can be a great help in fact. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Calming a bad case of math jitters is easier than parents and students might think. Secondary school math is, in essence, a new language, with new meanings assigned to words such as "altitude," "area," "axis," and "absolute." No wonder many an otherwise adept student gets bogged down. Barron's Mathematics Study Dictionary deftly and reassuringly resolves this predicament. Arranged alphabetically by themes (with vocabulary and definitions for "arithmetic," "conic sections," "formulas for shapes," and "probability," for example), and with a "Wordfinder" cross-reference (abbreviations to "Z- angles") to help locate specific confusing terms, the study dictionary helps explain the vocabulary of mathematics, translating lessons and homework back into plain English. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An indispensible reference
My 12 year old (who hates math) picked up this book and said "awesome!" My 17 year old, who is taking pre-calculus, was fascinated - exclaiming, "I never knew that about circles!"

This study dictionary defines and explains mathematical terms and functions in a comprehensive, dictionary-style format. The information is geared for students from pre-algebra through college.

This is simply a reference that every student should have. The definitions and illustrated examples are grouped by concept. When you look up a term, you will find it on a page with all the other terms related to the same mathematical function. For example, the word "denominator" will be found under "fractions". In fact, just reading the definitions on any given page is a good introduction to the subject.

A comprehensive 'wordfinder' index at the begining of the book directs you to the right page. This book would be a bargain at twice the price. (It probably will make more sense to your kids than the explanations in their textbooks). ... Read more

Book Description

The American Heritage® Children"s Science Dictionary introduces students in grades 4 to 6 to the language and ideas of science. Clear definitions, stunning color art, and an array of special notes and tables cover the full range of scientific subjects, from earth science, computers, weather, and outer space to basic biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, and mathematics. Key figures in the sciences are showcased in biographical entries and sidebars. "Did You Know?" notes present amazing facts on topics from earthworms to gravity to tornadoes. Delightful to browse in, the book uses a simple cross-referencing system that makes it easy to find and compare information in each subject area.
Together with expert science consultants, the editors of the American Heritage® dictionaries have produced the reference work that parents and educators have been waiting for — one that is sure to spark kids" natural curiosity and inspire a long-lasting interest in science.

• More than 2,600 clear, easy-to-read definitions in all science topics
• 350 full-color photographs and drawings
• More than 150 biographies of notable scientists
• More than 100 notes on key scientific concepts
• In-depth graphic treatment of selected topics
• Easy-to-follow tables and charts, including Planets of the Solar System
and Rock Types
• Simple cross-referencing system ... Read more

Book Description

In learning any subject, whether at school or in life, children are frequently blocked from understanding.

These confusions are amplified by a child not using, or not knowing how to use a dictionary. Being able to use a good dictionary is a vital skill in a child’s studies for the rest of her life.

How to use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children gives a child the know-how to use a dictionary in easy-to-read text and illustrations, enabling children to effectively comprehend what they read. Suitable for children from 8 to 12 years old. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

This book has been great for my kids!
One thing that was missing in my own education was instruction on how to properly use a dictionary. Usually, when I tried to look up a word, I went away more confused than before!

This book explains the proper method of using a dictionary so more confusion does not result! Which may not seem, at the outset, to be very important, but I believe it is the single most important aspect of education.

In modern education, children are usually taught to "guess" at the meanings of words. Which might sound fine, unless your mother is about to undergo surgery, and you consider the strong possibility the surgeon about to put her under the knife came across plenty of words in his study that he was told to "guess the meaning" of. Or how about the next time you board a plane? Do you really want a pilot who was taught to just "guess" at those definitions? I sure wouldn't want a lawyer to draft a contract on my behalf, unless I knew for certain that HE knew the definition of every "heretofore" and "forthwith"! ("heretofore" means "up to this time" and "forthwith" means "immediately".)

To be truly successful, one must fully understand the meanings of the words one comes across in life, and especially in one's profession.

This book will give your child that advantage. His SAT scores will be better. His ability to fully understand what he is studying depends upon his ability to discover the exact meaning of the words he comes across. His LOVE of study depends on this as well!

My children studied this book, and continue to apply the principles. When they come across words they don't understand, they get them defined! As a result, they are bright and interested in learning.

With this book, you will not only learn HOW to use a dictionary, but WHAT dictionaries to use.

I recommend this book to every parent I know...

My son is a great reader, largely due to this book
This book taught my son the basics of using a dictionary. He is 9 years old, and read this book when he was 6. He feels that there is NOTHING he can't study, simply due to what he learned from studying this book.

He has read books written for grown-ups, and he can read the newspaper, too. Whenever he comes across a word he doesn't understand, he looks it up in the dictionary! It really impresses people when a child asks them, "what does that word mean?" It seems that most kids are so used to hearing words they don't know the meanings of, that they just learn to brush past it.

This book teaches HOW to get the definition of a word, and it makes it easy to do so. Instead of getting MORE confused trying to look a word up in the dictionary, all the secrets to HOW to find these definitions successfully are in this book.

I love this one, and I think ANY adult or child could benefit from it!

This book will open the door to learning
By far the most under-used and least understood book in the field of education is the Dictionary. The book teaches an individual how to use a Dictionary. It will give you a fundamental understanding of how to trace the origin of words, pronounce them, define them to achieve full understanding and much more. This book belongs at the entry level to any step in education, and deserves to be in broad use. I recommend it for both children and adults. ... Read more

Book Description

Webster"s II Children"s Dictionary is an excellent reference for ages 8 to 12. Its precise definitions are written in clear, easy-to-follow language. Thousands of example sentences and more than 1,200 lively drawings bring words to life on every page. Synonym paragraphs and hundreds of fascinating word history notes provide further opportunities for learning. In addition, Webster"s II Children"s Dictionary has a fully illustrated, twenty-five-page reference appendix that includes measurement and metric conversion tables, timelines of U.S. and world history, geographic lists, world maps, and much more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Not sure how to explain arthroscopy to your curious kids? Do you want tolet them learn (and maybe teach you) on their own? The Scholastic ScienceDictionary is a fantastic reference tool for science- and nature-orientedkids in elementary and middle school. More than 2,400 terms from biology,astronomy, chemistry, physics, psychology, geology, and other fields are definedwith pronunciation guides, cross-references, and clear full-color illustrationsby Hannah Bonner. There might not be enough information included to write areport on a given subject, but the definitions are a great help to youngresearchers and can get the writing process flowing when other sources useunfamiliar words. When you need to know which way a stalagmite points, theScholastic Science Dictionary is there for you. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An upper elementary must have book!
I'm a teacher and ordered this book for my reference library last year. Any parent of a fourth or fifth grader should look into investing in this book - it carefully explains the most confusing scientific concepts thoroughly and uses pictures to help. Although it is designed for older students, my second graders consistently pick the science dictionary to read during free time. This book really attracts the kids attention! But, be warned, especially with younger students, you're going to be blessed by the sound of a lot of how and why questions!

Can't go wrong with this
I saw this at a friend's house, and as soon as I got home ordered a copy for my young nephews. It's a great science primer for kids. Worth getting for Hannah Bonner's wonderful illustrations. Recommended as well to adults who want to brush up on basic science.

Good place to start
We were looking for a book to introduce our 8 year old to science concepts. This book covers a wide range of subjects and helps kids understand more about the world when they complete school units in other subjects such as reading and social studies. Definitely a good choice for elementary age kids. ... Read more

Book Description

Created by leading educators, these colorful, large-size dictionaries introduce beginning language learners to more than 1,550 commonly taught basic words. Each Let's Learn Language Picture Dictionary in the series boasts 30 delightful two-page spreads that vividly illustrate the meanings of words. Fun-filled panoramas focus on scenes familiar to children aged three through eight, such as home life, the classroom, city life, sports, the zoo, and even outer space! Learners will love to revisit these detailed depictions of people, places, actions, and objects, each time improving their recall. Featured words are set off with individual illustrations and definitions to help learners at various levels build vocabulary. Includes an index and glossary of all the individually illustrated words. An ideal selection of first word books for parents and teachers who want to encourage second language acquisition.

Reviews (1)

fast learning of nouns, but insufficient
(3/12/2004)
My earlier glowing review was done some months ago. I have since downgraded my opinion from 4 stars to 3 stars. The dictionary is too basic and insufficient - will not really teach you what you need to learn. If you are looking for a dictionary, then Shlomo Zilberman is very good. If you want to increase your vocabulary of people, places, things, then this is good. However if your goal is to learn conversational Hebrew, then it won't help.

Since then, I have tried to learn at a synagogue from a teacher using an excellent book with comic cartoon stories and cassette tapes and have learnt much more. The book is "Haveyeth Ushma" ("Express and Learn") by Judith Case and Paul Anokh but unfortunatlely is published in Israel - the copy my teacher has is in Russian and Hebrew. Is there an English edition? I wish some publisher here would publish it. Even so, we are able to learn with a little translation from our teacher because the cartoons are rich with clues. You learn the different verb forms almost subconsciously and the level of conversation is much higher than with other products. It is both visual and aural. The conversations in the book are also witty, warm and authentic (exactly the way real people speak, not 'staged'). It is better than Pimsleur.
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(Oct 2003)
I bought this book together with the Hebrew Picture Word Book by Steadman/Cirker. This book is fast learning if you are a visually oriented person and is a very good way to learn nouns quickly. However I feel that the book is unsufficient for really learning Hebrew. Nouns/Verbs are not everything.
1) The pictures here are colorful but the other book actually lets you paint or crayon in the pictures. for me, Cirker/Steadman is great fun! Straight from the post office, I went to [the store] and bought a cheap watercolor paint set. I am an adult but this was fun - mixing colors, painting and learning the hebrew word. I am using this painting not only to learn hebrew, but also to relieve stress from work :)

2) When the hebrew word is transliterated, one tends to remember the english word and forget the hebrew word because it is easier to look at. When I look at a picture and try to recall the hebrew name - in my mind's eye, I tend to see the english transliteration only. It would have been better if they had printed the transliterated words on another page or upside down.

Both books have one drawback in that abstract words, expressions are not covered - but then, this is not their goal. ... Read more

Book Description

From the publishers of America's #1 dictionary for children comes a completely revised and expanded edition of the best-selling Macmillan Very First Dictionary. Truly the perfect dictionary for beginning readers, the Macmillan First Dictionary defines words in a way children can easily understand. Definitions are phrased clearly and simply -- and are given in complete sentences. Colorful photographs and illustrations make even difficult words easy to grasp. The Macmillan First Dictionary is the one book every preschool and primary-grade child should have. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

first rate kids dictionary
My wife picked out this dictionary for my son when he was
about to turn 5, and he has really enjoyed it. The definitions
and examples are written in language that he can easily
understand (a major issue for kids this age), the pictures
are very good, and it's comprehensive enough that he can
usually find what he's interested in. I'm very glad that
we have a copy of this book.

My son loves it...and craves to read it
Although my son is only in first grade...heading into second, he has found this dicionary to be a wealth of knowledge. It has not only been helpful in looking up words he is uncertain of, but it is also entertaining enough for him to explore all on his own as a book of knowledge. It is actually helping him learn how to read. The pictures in it are accurate and interest grabbing. This is helping him to read and learn as his interest is piqued by the illustrations and he constantly picks it up just to thumb through it and "read" it. I am a teacher and I do feel this is one of the best dictionaries out there for the students just learning to read and look up definitions. For students at a higher level, I recommend the MacMillan Dictionary for Students. My daughter who is in 4th grade- heading into 5th- has found it invaluable. Both of these dictonaries are the BEST out there. I highly recommend the MacMillan First Dictionary & MacMillan Dictionary for Students based on my experience as an educator and a mother.

More than a dictionary!
I sampled several children's first dictionary's at the bookstore. None really compared to this one. It not only teaches children the meaning of words, where they come from and how they can be confused by same sounds, it also teaches about dates, money, measurment and has colorful maps. The only thing I would add to this dictonary is an alphabet column on the edge of the pages highlighted with the letter of each section. Otherwise it's the best one out there for a first childs dictionary. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellent resource for young Catholics!
As a catechist teacher I come across alot of text books. Thisis one of the better ones. Especially for those first and secondgraders just beginning to understand their faith and its traditions. Thank goodness our RE director chose this dictionary over others. The colorful pictures and clear explanations give valuable meaning to things that aren't always addressed during mass or other religious instruction. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great little start to learning Chinese
Not only does this book have the photos and the English translation but it has the Chinese pronunciation in "pygn-english". It's easy as pie to read and follow. Though there are not to many phrases, it's a good book for the learning of nouns. ... Read more