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Elbert's Bad Word (Hardcover)

~ (Author, Illustrator), Don Wood (Illustrator) "One afternoon at an elegant garden party, young Elbert heard a word he had never heard before..." (more)
Key Phrases: Madame Friatta
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

List Price: $16.00
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Frequently Bought Together

Elbert's Bad Word + Heckedy Peg (A Voyager/Hbj Book) + King Bidgood's in the Bathtub: Book and Musical CD (Caldecott Honor Books)
Price For All Three: $31.21

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  • This item: Elbert's Bad Word by Audrey Wood

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  • Heckedy Peg (A Voyager/Hbj Book) by Audrey Wood

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As the only child at an elegant party, Elbert hears a strange word. "The word floated by like a small storm cloud. It was ugly and covered with dark, bristly hairs. With a swift flick of his wrist, Elbert snatched the word from the air and stuffed it into his back pocket." Soon the word flies into his mouth "like a little gnat." When Elbert is upset a moment later, out comes the word. "Everyone at the party was shocked. They couldn't believe their ears." Enter a friendly wizard gardener, who shows Elbert how other words, uttered with enthusiasm, are more satisfying than the little monster. The next time he needs to let off some steam, Elbert emits Thunder and Lightning! and Blistering Hoptoads! and the act brings him cheers from fellow party-goers. The slapstick events of the party will engage readers from the start; the image of the word as a little monster frees the story from didacticism while making clear that bad words are not necessary, given a few creative substitutions. A comic but sensible book on the topic. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4 A bad word, spoken by a small boy at a fashionable garden party, creates havoc, and the child, Elbert, gets his mouth scrubbed out with soap. The bad word, in the shape of a long-tailed furry monster, will not go away until a wizard-gardener cooks up some really delicious, super-long words that everyone at the party applauds. This single-idea cautionary tale has lively, absurdist pictures of tiara-crowned, formally dressed adults recoiling in horror or cavorting with glee when Elbert, the only child at the party, speaks a word. The transformation of a word into a visible, furry creature, makes its point clearly, but the long words offered as replacement (MY STARS! . . .RATS AND BLUE BLAZES! . . .ZOUNDS AND GADZOOKS!) are as alien to a modern child as the adult garden party with its butler and titled guests. The book may offer a way for adults to tackle the thorny problem of bad language, but good-boy Elbert, with his bow tie and soaped mouth, is unlikely to be a child's favorite story character. Shirley Wilton, Ocean County College, Toms River, N.J.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 4-8
  • Hardcover: 40 pages
  • Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (September 10, 1988)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0152253203
  • ISBN-13: 978-0152253202
  • Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,458 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #32 in  Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( W ) > Wood, Audrey & Don

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Audrey Wood
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
One afternoon at an elegant garden party, young Elbert heard a word he had never heard before. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madame Friatta
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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
5 star:
 (7)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A how-to on reducing the power of bad words., August 15, 2000
By cf "irate" (Montana) - See all my reviews
My kids borrowed this book at the library and enjoyed it so much I am purchasing it. My four-year-old enjoys saying and creating his own expressive words - words that "sparkle and crackle." My two-year-old recognizes bad words and is learning acceptable replacements. He reads the book daily. They both tell everyone they meet about bad words. Again, the illustration of the bad word is excellent - much better than having used a word.

Course I will never be able to wash out my kids' mouths because they now know that won't get rid of the word. Replacing it with more appropriate words is what they have learned from this book.

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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Good Word about Bad Words, March 12, 2002
By Roberta Proctor (Coral Gables, Florida) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Elbert's Bad Word (Paperback)
If your child has ever "caught" a bad word, as a character in this book phrases it, then Audrey and Don Wood's "Elbert's Bad Word" is the cure you're seeking. Rather than being one of those pseudo-psychological books of the values and feelings genre, this is a lively, witty, sophisticated story that delivers its message with subtlety and humor. Even adults will love how the Woods have depicted the bad word; it's creative and clever to say the least. It also, and this children and adults will likely find enjoyable, satirizes adults' parties, poking fun at adult party foods, clothes and entertainments. Very enjoyable--and useful for the parent dealing with a case of the "bad word."
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Elbert's a Good Book, August 31, 2004
This review is from: Elbert's Bad Word (Paperback)
This is such a cute story for explaining bad words. We love the setting of a stuffy cocktail party. The pictures are great!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Elbert's Bad Word
One of the greatest children's books of all time. The Woods have written and illustrated other books including The Napping House which is also a favorite of ours, but Elbert's Bad... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Susan

4.0 out of 5 stars Two boys' review: A great resource for parents; reinforce good behavior
I have two young boys (ages 6 and 4) so I'm always on the lookout for a book that reinforces good manners and behaviors to mix into our bedtime reading rotation... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jared Castle

5.0 out of 5 stars SUCH a wonderful book
You can't go wrong with any of the Audrey and Don Wood books, but this one is just so sweet. It tells the story of a little boy who attends a party and hears a bad word and then... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Rachel D. Flachman

4.0 out of 5 stars A Teacher's Perspective
Elbert's Bad Word is a modern fantasy tale that features a lively, furry foul word that surfaces in the middle of a fancy dinner party. Read more
Published 14 months ago by S. White

5.0 out of 5 stars One To Buy!
My Children love this story. The illustrations are delightful. We spend as much time looking at the pictures as we do actually reading the book. Read more
Published 21 months ago by C. Paige

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have addition to any classroom or childrens' library!
This is one of my favorites. It is a lively, imaginative book that is fun to read aloud. I just read it today in fact to a group of second graders and they loved it so much they... Read more
Published on December 10, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful words conquer bad words any day and are fun to use.
A bad word is overheard at a garden party. It's use by Elbert leads to abuse - are bar of soap in the mouth. The word is strong, it's still not gone. Read more
Published on November 8, 1998

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