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

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.

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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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Customer Reviews

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.

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."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elbert's a Good Book, August 31, 2004

By	H. Price (Oregon) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!