This children’s book was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoy how much depth was in a fun story like this. I will definitely be recommending this to parents I encounter. Words have such power and I’m glad this book shows children just how much!

A Chest Full of Words is a fun picture book of words in a chest that is flung out into the world, often making for very interesting words and creations. The illustration was colorful and inviting. The cast of characters and creatures were funny but also revelatory, expressing how wonderful words can be. Without words we wouldn’t have these amazing books to read and enjoy. I would love to see this book in its print version because the digital version for review made me think I didn’t have a great format because it was a jumble of letters. Once I completed this story, I realized it was part of the formatting, but I’m quite sure it’s a lot more dramatic and illustrative in print.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, NorthSouth Books and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This children's picture book is beautifully written and illustrated. Oscar finds a treasure chest, but it's full of words, "only words" in a wild jumble. After he pulls out the first few words, he realizes the effect they have when a fluorescent hedgehog runs by - words can change things. Experimenting with all kinds of words that are new to him, he runs out, the chest is empty. He does discover a new pile of words, and begins to understand the importance of words and how we use them - that they have meaning and power. The illustrations are fantastic and underline the depth of the story, which is imbued with great expressiveness for children and adults alike.

This book is chock full of awesome vocabulary for kids, plus it made me laugh in a few places. The illustrations are fun. The message is to teach kids to be descriptive and the book will get kids to use new words as they hear the words being used and illustrated.

This was a very positive book about learning new words and putting meaning behind them. So many times, children's book use simple language, but this book shows new and descriptive words that can help educate children on their meanings. I think this would be a great book to read in a classroom during a Language Arts unit, or just to your own children who are inquisitive and love to learn. I was very impressed by this book and the graphics are engaging and eye catching.

Thank you to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Chest Full of Words, by Rebecca Gugger and Simon Röthlisberger and translated by Tim Mohr, is a cute book with nice illustrations that carry the text a long ways.

One afternoon Oscar digs up a locked chest and once able to open it, finds it full of words. At first, he’s wholly unimpressed, wadding up a word (fluorescent) and tossing it aside. But when a bright fluorescent hedgehog scurries out from the bush Oscar had tossed it in, he realizes the power of the words and begins slapping them on a variety of things, creating a “hairy” tree, a “grandiose” birdhouse, a “monstrous” beetle which he quickly turns “adorable” and more.

Eventually though, Oscar empties the chest and thus needs to go on the search for more words. Several neighbors are too busy to help, but another comes back with a “mountain of words,” telling Oscar “Words have magical powers. Use them with care and you can make the world blossom.” Oscar then “began to find words everywhere” using all his senses. He refills his treasure chest with the new words and uses them freely.

The text is solid and certainly readable with some nice ideas, though it doesn’t really linger or sing. The illustrations, therefore, as noted above, do the major lifting in the text. They’re a wryly askew and whimsical style that is captivating and interesting in the way they present things in unusual fashion. Kids will almost certainly enjoy them quite a bite. I only had two minor quibbles. One is that sometimes the size scale felt off or shifting, though that could certainly just be part of the general quirkiness of the illustrations. The other is that sometimes the words weren’t clearly as clearly defined by the illustrations as at other times, though it was just a few occasions.

Overall, a good message about words with the true strength lying in the artwork. Recommended.

"Words have magical powers. Use them with care and you can make the world blossom."

A chest full of words is the story of Oscar who, one way, stumbles upon a wooden chest beneath ground... What does it contain ? What does it hide ? He finally manages to open it and...
"It was full, all right, but only with words.
All sorts of words.
All jumbled up."

A really interesting, satisfying, cute graphic style.
Loved how they played with the words, and how they used the concept of using those treasured words for Oscar to alter the world around him.
It creates beautiful illustrated pages, funny situations. Surprises, wonder, curiosity, and creativity.

It could be a nice tool to learn vocabulary in an amusing way.

Love the message that you can find words everywhere : in things, in people. You can exchange them, find them, listen to them, feel them. Explore the world around you and use your senses. How you can use words to make things better, more interesting, creating links, and connect, share.

"All over the place ! Finding words is a delight.
I focus all my senses and go searching for them.
Sometimes during the day, sometimes at night whenever I'm wide awake. Because you can find words anytime and anywhere."

#AChestFullofWords #NetGalley

This is an adorable story about a boy, Oscar, who finds a chest filled with words. He then finds out just how powerful the words truly are. My 6-year old son and I read this story together and both enjoyed it. The illustrations are gorgeous and reminiscent of some Oliver Jeffers books - both in style and whimsy. There are quite a few words that younger children may not fully appreciate but I would recommend this book for children ages 5-9. I do wish that the there was some hint to the meaning of the words by their shape or design, but it was fun to explain the definitions to my son and then have him try to identify which object/animal was the recipient of those words.

A special thank you to the author, Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This would be a great read-aloud for a primary or elementary classroom, as a lead-in to a vocabulary or spelling lesson. The teacher may want to have her own chest full of words that students can reach into and pull out a word that may spark a creative writing exercise. I think the story was engaging and the pictures were a great accompaniment to the story. This will be a good resource for schools and libraries.

A great visual representation of words and their meaning. I love how easily this story portrays adjectives and how they alter a word. There are even pages with examples that children could use to create their own “chest of words.” Great book for littles one to understand new vocabulary and grownups to have a good laugh!

It is impossible to put into words (so ironic is that) how much this reader adored this little children’s picture book, — the tale of a boy named Oscar.

The book is illustrated beautifully, with soft-palette images so gorgeous and charming any reader (of any age) would love to visit with Oscar. This wonderful, colorful world is bursting with creatures and meadows and trees, with a hint of Dr-Seussian whimsy, and, oh what adventures Oscar shall have here!

For Oscar is a little boy who finds a mysterious chest, — a chest that will take bit of effort to open. But open it he does (because who could resist?) and what he finds is the chest is filled with riches. But the riches inside are of a different sort, in that they are metaphorical. For the chest contains nothing but words, a great big beautiful tangle of them, lusciously evocative words that Oscar, at first, is deeply confused by. And more than a little disappointed.

And what child wouldn’t be?

As Oscar unravels one word, “fluorescent” (feel it, as you say it - it’s a wonderful word!) then tosses it away with disinterest, he is suddenly aware of the word in action — a hedgehog (and a peeved one at that) is made fluorescent through the power of Oscar’s word.

And just like that — a door has opened — for Oscar and the reader, into the marvelous magical world of words. One that will delight, and inspire, for every word he finds can spark an adventure, a creation, an imagining, an experience.

And once the chest is empty, as Oscar learns, and teaches us, in this spellbinding little story, there are always more words to be found. All around us. As language, and the infinitely evocative words it is made of, can be found everywhere — both a gift and an awakening — a richly-layered journey that any child, looking for it, can take, if they just walk along with Oscar.

And who of us could resist an invitation that fluorescent?

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this wonderful book. All thoughts presented are my own.

This was such a sweet celebration of words! The artwork was truly incredible and lent a magical realism to the adventures all of the words created!

Oscar finds a chest filled with magnificent treasure - jumbled up words that have the power to change the world around him. Both the concept and the illustrations by the authors are truly magical. This is a real treat for lexicographers, etymologists, philologists, and, yes - even children.

The story is incredibly delightful and the illustrations are beautiful The illustrations make the words absolutely pop off of the page. I can't wait to use this book in storytimes to help my kiddos build their vocabularies!

This was a beautiful book about the power of the written words. As a book lover, why wouldn't I love this children's book?

A short hymn to the power of words, as Oscar, "doing his daily digging" (don't ask) finds a chest full of wondrous adjectives. And when he allocates them at random, by literally flinging them around the place, they stick – and change what they land on. So if FLOURESCENT hits a hedgehog, that is what you have – a fluorescent hedgehog. The book doesn't labour over the threat and damage of all this, but sides instead with the idea of having words in the bank – knowing enough of them, listening out for them, learning their meanings. A lot of them in this version are compound words ("poodle-perfect", "kittycat-grey") but this was a German/Swiss book first. And it may have been translated with a touch more alacrity and speed than you'd think likely, once you sit and think about it, but it's not bad at all – it's a reminder of the bounties and variety of our lingo, and might turn a few readers, if not converted already, into proper wordsmiths. Four stars is as close to the real score as makes no difference.

Words are great and I love encouraging kids to learn and try new ones, but I didn't like the art and the story feels like it's been done before.

Oscar ist ein Abenteurer und Schatzsucher. Und als er mal wieder gräbt und gräbt findet er eine riesige Schatzkiste.
Zwei Tage dauert es, bis er die Kiste geöffnet bekommt. Zwei Tage in denen er rätselt, was in der Kiste ist. Diamanten? Eine Krone? Eine Torte?

Und als er sie öffnet sind darin: Wörter. Ein richtiges Wortdurcheinander. Aber Wörter in einer Schatzkiste? Nicht das, was sich Oscar vorstellte.

Bis er entdeckt, mit den Wörtern kann er die Dinge um sich ändern. Etwas wird leuchtend, etwas anderes haarig, monströs und lieb.

Als die Kiste leer ist muss sich Oscar auf die Suche begeben neue Wörter zu finden. Ein Glück, dass es Louise gibt.

„Words have magical power. Use them with care and you make them blossom. And once in a while, someone will give you a new word.”

Eine Ode an die Fantasie und Sprache.

Die deutsche Fassung erschien 2024 im NordSüd Verlag.

This little book for the tiny tots is a real treasure which very cleverly portrays how words are so very important for our existence. A little boy explores through words of different meanings and finds it very interesting how different words sound and how diversely rolls of our tongues. So, it's great for children to increase their vocabulary and to ignite their desire to learn more words.

The illustrations in A Chest Full of Words are wonderous, captivating and clever. The story; however, leaves me wishing for more. Curious why only the gardener knew interesting words? Seems to miss the magic of special words for special topics.

Thanks to @NetGalley for sharing this DRC with me for an honest review.