little lit book series: words and wordplay

This month's edition of #littlelitbookseries is all about words and word play.   We're featuring books that celebrate the cleverness and nuances of language and its sounds, grammar, linguistic devices, various lexicons—the big and little things that contribute to the beauty and complexity of language.  Word mavens and logophiles, be sure to check in on our feed @littlelitbookseries as we share more linguistic wonders there throughout the month.

If you've ever questioned whether or not commas do make a difference, look no further than the picture book version of Eats, Shoots & Leaves written by Lynne Truss and illustrated by Bonnie Timmons.  It'll make you think twice the next time you see a badly punctuated sentence, and either cringe or chuckle at it.

Take a look at what everyone else is sharing today by searching for the hashtag #littlelitbookseries on Instagram.

the night before christmas

“As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.”

It’s hard to imagine Christmas Eve without Clement C. Moore’s iconic poem.  Roger Duvoisin’s illustrations are bright, warm and enchanting.  Happy Christmas to all!

The Night Before Christmas was published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.

enid blyton's christmas stories

Today we’ve got a rainy and sullen sky out and we’ve been reading Enid Blyton’s Christmas Stories.  What is everyone’s favorite book by her?  I didn’t grow up reading Enid Blyton (only discovered her work when I got older) and am looking to buy more of her stories for Avery and Nate.   And happy first day of winter, all.

Enid Blyton's Christmas Stories was published by Hachette.