The Cat's Elbow: and Other Secret Languages [Paperback]

Alvin Schwartz (Author), Margot Zemach (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Presents instructions for speaking thirteen secret languages, including Pig Latin, one of the best known and easiest codes to learn, and Boontling, developed by people in a California town.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The lure of secret languages is perennial among kids. They may have heard of pig Latin, but how about 'Iggity' or 'Kunyume'. . .It's all intriguing, and a barrel of fun for the willing and able. Zemach's droll pen-and-ink drawings add an appropriate amusing touch." --Booklist

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (July 1, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374410542
• ISBN-13: 978-0374410544
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,172,211 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alvin Schwartz is known for a body of work of more than two dozen books of folklore for young readers that explore everything from wordplay and humor to tales and legends of all kinds. His collections of scary stories -- Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, More Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark, Scary Stories 3, and two I Can Read Books, In A Dark, Dark Room and Ghosts! -- are just one part of his matchless folklore collection.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How many languages can you think of?, May 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Cat's Elbow: and Other Secret Languages (Paperback)

How many languages do you think there are in the world? Well the answer is that there are countless languages worldwide! Every time every day people are inventing new ways to speak and lots of different sounds. This new book,The cats elbow and other secret languages has about one fiftieth of all the languages there are in the whole world. although the most common ones are split by their accent. In english is not split up by their accent, but in spanish, in spain the states are split up by their accents like in Galicia they speak a spanish version Gallego. Well the book only say one of the secret languages spoken between armies and cops. In world war two many countries spoke coded languages and sent messages that only that army knew so the enemies wouldn't understand. It has man interesting languages. I can bet that one of those languages in the book was used during battles or even one of the world wars. I recommend this book to people who read about the following authors or characters: Marvin Miller, Nancy Drew, Scooby doo, Encyclpedia Brown, Sherlock Holmes, and the author of The cats elbow and other secret languages. ........................................ so I read this book and I loved it because its one of those rare books that draws the reader in with the first paragraph into turning the pages until the end. I compare this book to like Codemaster one and two because codemaster shows you codes to code and decode messages written, but this book shows to SAY messages in another language sort of like a code.

5.0 out of 5 stars A lot of fun, May 6, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Cat's Elbow and Other Secret Languages (Hardcover)

Back when I was in the 4th grade, I would constantly try to think of codes with my friends. Now, three years later, I came upon this book. Sadly, there were only three people who checked it out before me, in the eighties. If people knew about this book, I am sure they would love it. I highly recommend it, whether your a 4th grader who takes this stuff seriously, or a 7th grader and up just looking for some fun. A not fo nuf guages-lan!