In a Nutshell: A standalone sequel to the marvellous etymological book, ‘Every Word Tells a Story.’ The stories accompanying the words this time are as impressive, but the words themselves are a mixed bag. Still, a great gift option for little logophiles.

Did you know that –
╰┈➤ Chaucer had to resort to a descriptive phrase to indicate a particular colour for which there was no word in English until an Indian fruit made its way to British shores?
╰┈➤ There is a connection between the bikini and the atom bomb?
╰┈➤ There is a historical reason why ‘pork’, ‘beef’, and ‘mutton’ are used but ‘pig’, ‘cow’, and ‘goat’ are not used when referring to meat in dishes?
╰┈➤ Gladiator and Gladioli share a ‘pointed’ connection?

If this fun way of learning the origins of some common and not-so-common words of the English language sounds like your idea of fun, this book is for you.

This is a standalone follow-up to ‘Every Word Tells a Story’, which also had a similar structure and intent.

This book begins with an interesting introductory note about how it came into being. Apparently, the words herein are the ones heard by the author from the children he met during his promotional interactions for the earlier book. I am not sure if every word here comes from children as some of them are so obscure. But if true, I am embarrassed that there are kids who know words like ‘orrery’ and ‘osculation’, which I haven’t ever heard in my life until I came across them in this book!

There is a glossary right at the start, explaining specialist language terms such as etymology, portmanteau and colloquial. As with the earlier, book, I truly appreciate that this is at the start and not the end of the book. So very helpful for everyone who doesn’t know these terms!

The main content covers 104 words (4 words per letter of the English alphabet), and shares their meanings and interesting etymological origins. For each letter, one word gets the pride of place, with a detailed poem focussing on its connotation and usage, its etymology, and a special fun fact related to the word. The other three words don’t get as many details but are still explained clearly.

I had relished the first book more than this one. This time, the choice of words wasn’t as impressive to me, though most of them have great origin stories. The words are varied in terms of subject as well as commonality. Some are more run-of-the-mill while others will probably never be used in spoken conversation. A couple of the words make a reappearance from the earlier book. I wish this repetition had been avoided.

The illustrations are by the same illustrator as before, and hence in the same style, but somehow, they worked slightly better for me this time around, probably because I knew what to expect.

All in all, this is a wonderful book for everyone regardless of age, as long as they enjoy words and word origins. Officially, the book is intended for middle-graders.

4 stars.

My thanks to Quarto Publishing Group for providing the DRC of “Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

I really enjoyed this fun and educational book. I found it so interesting learning about the origins of everyday words. I loved the A-Z theme, the poems and the illustrations. I have even found myself imparting my new knowledge on others when some of the featured words have come up in conversation! Thank you to NetGalley/the publisher/author for this eARC.

I love these books. A great way of developing vocabulary, sharing words and learning about etymology in a beautifully presented way.
Will definitely be adding a copy to my classroom bookshelf.

What a cracking read for anyone with a love of words. The layout is clear and engaging with short chunks of text and bright, colourful illustrations. I loved reading about the background of some of our many everyday words and I can already think of several children who will devour this as readily as I did.

This is such a fun book, and a little cheeky. So many interesting words and word origins, with delightful pictures. Kids reading this will learn a new way to love language. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

A fun educational book by the wordsmith Tom Read Wilson .
The book describes the origins of certain words , the descriptions are written in such a way that a child and an adult can enjoy it .
Even though the book is a children’s book I certainly learnt a lot about the origins of some words .
It’s perfectly written in bite size chunks so that a child won’t lose interest , it’s also beautifully illustrated making a great educational book .
Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - words & pictures.

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this eCopy to review

Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale is an absolute delight! From the very first page, I was captivated by Tom’s charming exploration of the English language. This book is a treasure trove of words, uncovering their fascinating origins and meanings. Tom’s passion for words shines through in every entry, making each one a mini adventure in itself.

One of the things I love most about this book is how accessible and engaging it is. Tom has a knack for making complex linguistic concepts easy to understand and incredibly fun to read about. The whimsical illustrations by Ian Morris add an extra layer of magic, bringing each word’s story to life in a vibrant and memorable way.

A standout moment for me was learning about the word “astronaut,” which means “star sailor” in Ancient Greek. It’s these little nuggets of knowledge that make this book so special. Whether you’re a language enthusiast or just someone who loves a good story, there’s something in here for everyone.

Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale is a beautifully crafted book that educates and entertains in equal measure.

A beautifully illustrated book that unlocks the origins behind the words in the English language. 

A delightful and cheeky follow up to Every Word Tells Us A Story, the new literary adventure by Tom Read Wilson — Wonderful Words That Tell A Tale, is a treasure trove of the stories that each word carries within. Wilson narrates these tales in a light and engaging manner, dipping into the origins, meaning, usage, and even their etymology, without sounding stuffy. 

For instance, his entry for the letter R left me in spilts —

Rugby, is a sport, a name of a town in England, and also a name of a school. So, yes, rugby, the sport, was invented at Rugby School, in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England.

The book is full of cheerful discoveries like these, which will get the children and maybe, the adults, grinning at their new found knowledge and waiting for a chance to share this in a conversation. I, for one, cannot wait to drop the fact that Xylospongium is a sponge on stick (spongos is sponge and xylon is wood) that Romans used to wipe their butts clean after pooping, which led to the invention of the modern toilet brush.

Wilson has also included ubiquitous words from other languages, Bengali, Japanese, Welsh, Sanskrit, Tagalog, Greek, Cantonese, which are an indelible part of the English lexicon, and you wouldn’t know of its origin, unless you are a linguist or, are reading this book. By including these words, Wilson is showcasing the diverse cultures around the world and their influence in the English language, which is welcoming.

The illustrations by Ian Morris with their bright tones and clean lines are captivating and stunning. The juxtaposition of the illustrations with the text make this book an absolute delight to read.

With over a 100 words, the Wonderful Words That Tell A Tale book is the perfect book for young budding wordsmiths, and is sure to spark an interest in encouraging children to have fun whilst learning about language.

Wonderful Words That Tell A Tale, by the famous wordsmith Tom Read Wilson, is the sequel to Every Word Tells A Story. This wonderful book includes word origins and meanings of many different words sourced from around the world, as well as many did you know facts and fantastic illustrations (by Ian Morris). I would recommend this book for all key stage 2 classrooms.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I like the etymology of words; so this was a fun read. The drawings helped to reinforce what the words meant.

Educational and fun. Lively art, word etymology, some lighthearted poems, and plenty of fun facts about some common words in today's vernacular. Some of the word origins were quite unexpected. For example, do you have any idea where the word “bikini” comes from? The answer is surprising!

A good book for learning.

I’ve enjoyed following Tom on instagram for a few years now and got so excited when I saw his second book available to read on NetGalley!

This is a fabulous book for anyone of any age. I learned so much whilst reading it and found it delightfully entertaining! I loved the range of words chosen by Tom and how accessible he's made it to understand the history of each one. I also have to give a special mention to the illustrations - they were absolutely gorgeous! This would make a lovely gift, especially coming up to Christmas.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I love, love, love Tom Read Wilson and his daily words on Instagram. I know this is a children's book but I've had it on my wishlist for ages!

Okay, so it is a sequel. Does it matter? Absolutely not. It's not a story and so you don't have to catch up with characters or plot points. It's a collection of words he has found over the years from the children he's met and frrom his own research, which means you can read them in whatever order you want.

It may be for kids, but as a 31-year-old, I definitely found myself learning a few bits. It's very interesting but accessible, with beautiful illustrations. In fact, the illustrations deserve a praise all of their own as they're so amazing and play such a big part in making the book as enjoyable as it is to read.

It took me about an hour to read (and get lost in Google black holes). It would probably take a child longer to read because I imagine it'll be accompanied by many questions. You could read it like I did, which is cover to cover in one sitting, or you can dip in and out over a few bedtimes.

It is such an eye-catching cover that it's sure to attract readers of all ages. It's fun but educational.

Remember how much we enjoyed playing with words in, oh, so many ways as kids? Rolling around multi-syllable, almost musical ones in out mouths, testing their sounds and rhymes, even memorizing how to spell L.O.N.G. words because, well, because we could. Wilson captures a bit of that whimsical childhood past in this book with the help of Morris' fun illustrations. While I'd question aiming the book at children, the fun element should make it work. It's not necessarily a book to read from front to back, either, as one can easily flip around, flip back and forth, or, shh, even skip words that simply don't grab you.

It's been awhile since I read the prior book but these words seem more unfamiliar than the those initially showcased, but the format is the same. Each letter of the alphabet gets four words. One word is highlighted and showcased in a brief rhyme. Tables are shown that share the words origin and how the term came to be and more. The three words that follow aren't necessarily related but did catch the author's whimsy, Finally, the words are in italics for their first use and their source is in bold, with meanings underlined. Don't worry. It's pretty obvious as you go along.

Phew, with that bit of explanation done, let's turn to the words. Nope, not going to provide you with a full list... part of the fun is in the discovery .... but will highlight a few that aren't mentioned in the blurb. For instance, the word alphabet itself. It comes from the Greek terms alpha and beta, the first two letters of the Greek alphabet. Like many, I knew the word sandwich got its name from the Earl of Sandwich but do you know his real name? Nope. Not telling, but it's there. There's even an explanation for where the abbreviation Xmas came from. Again, nope. Not telling. I will share that the Old English meaning of the word hiccup comes from one meaning "elf induced". That somehow seems fitting. Oh, and the term barbecue comes from the Caribbean and means, oops, almost gave that one away. Check it out before your next barbecue.

Bottom line, a fun book for all ages that can be revisited repeatedly. Morris' watercolor style illustrations are whimsical in nature but realistic, too, if that makes sense. They add to the fun. Thanks #QuartoPublishingGroup - #words&pictures for allowing me an early peek at this fun collection. The glossary in the beginning was quite helpful, btw.

This is a real find! I love studying words and playing word games. I wonder if there is a word for people like me... This book is just perfect. I have put all the other books by the same author in my shopping basket and will wait till this one is published to put the order through.

I have not read the first book, but this one can be read as a standalone one.
A non-fiction book on the origins/the etymology of some common words. Why do we call them as such? Where did that word originate from?
Very curious, cute and informative indeed.