The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus

The Right Word

Roget and his Thesaurus

Bryant, J. (2014). The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. Ill. by Melissa Sweet. Eerdmans Publishing Company. ISBN 9780802853851

For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions -- and it wasn’t long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn’t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. His lists grew and grew, eventually turning into one of the most important reference books of all time.
(Amazon Book Reviews)

This book, highlighting the life of Peter Mark Roget (pronounced “Roh-Zhay), is delightfully written with Illustrations that carry the story. The illustrations are colorful and captivating; they take on a character of their own as they wind you through the clever mind of the list-making Roget. In the span of his life (1779-1869) Roget had many interests and occupations. The habit that carried through it all was his book of lists. Jen Bryant’s storytelling is amusing and personable. I recommend this book for anyone who takes delight in writing, speaking, or words in general.

Book Reviews:

“Sweet tops herself -- again! -- visually reflecting Roget's wide range as a thinker and product of the Enlightenment. Injecting her watercolor palette with shots of teal, scarlet and fuchsia, Sweet embeds vintage bits (ledger paper, type drawers, botanical illustrations and more), creating a teeming, contemplative, playfully celebratory opus…In a word: marvelous!”
THE RIGHT WORD: Roget and His Thesaurus. (2014). Kirkus Reviews, 82(15), 89–90.

“The book contains extensive back matter, including an incredibly detailed time line that goes into the man's other inventions (the slide rule, the pocket chess set) and an author and illustrator's note, as well as Roget quotations that are sure to inspire if not a love of language then at least a search for the perfect turn of phrase. An excellent illustrated biography.”
Fabicon, J. K. (2014). The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus. School Library Journal, 60(10), 128.

Connections:

- This would be a wonderful addition to a lesson about reference materials. Students would gain an understanding of the origin and production of tools that they will use in their writing throughout their life.

- Students could write sentences, journal style, then read this book. They could then use Roget’s Thesaurus to re-write their original entries.

Awards:

Sibert Medal Winner, 2015

Caldecott Honor Book, 2015

This review was created as an assignment for SHSU LSSL 5360.