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.

Words Are A Treasure-

When Oscar finds a chest full of words, he is disappointed until he learns how to apply them. He eventually uses them all and does not know how to obtain more words. Eventually, a friend helps him. After he collects more words, he treasures them and places them into the chest to cherish and use in the future.

I love the premise of this story. The words within the storyline can be discovered and read together with an early reader to broaden their vocabulary and help them realize how important words can be. The ending is a little abrupt, so I would suggest the reader preview the book before reading to or with children.

These illustrations are remarkable and have details that tend to keep young readers engaged with the story. I like to have items on the page to point out and discuss. This story highlights words for discussion and the illustrations definitely raise the bar.

I received this book from the author/publisher free of charge, with no expectation of a positive review.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

Firstly of I was reminded how much I adore my the word grandiose.. It's a good solid word that must of fell out of my chest.

The activities were fun and went with the theme of the book very well.

"A Chest Full of Words" is an engaging and delightful picture book brimming with exciting vocabulary. The story follows a young boy who stumbles upon a chest filled with new words, and eventually learning how these words can transform the world around him. Authored by Rebecca and Simon, this book is a creative and adventurous journey, enriched with captivating illustrations and an inspiring message that encourages readers to expand their vocabulary and embrace the power of language.

In A Chest Full of Words, a boy finds a treasure chest. He discovers WORDS inside the chest! Lots of words. Initially, he is unimpressed and throws the word away. He was surprised when the word transformed into a FLOURESCENT hedgehog. As soon as Oscar slaps the word HAIRY on a tree's trunk, the tree becomes covered in hair. Oscar is excited by this new discovery and starts throwing words at various objects to see what happens. When he sees a beetle, he flings the word MONSTROUS at it. Suddenly, the bettle is ten times the size of him. When he throws the word ADORABLE at the beetle, it turns into a cute winged insect. After throwing words out as fast as he can, Oscar realizes that the chest is empty. The chest contains no more words. Eventually, he meets Louise, a gardener who reveals the secret to finding words. Soon Oscar is collecting all kinds of amazing words once again. In order to share a little joy, Oscar only took out one word from his treasure chest when it suited the moment. Oscar learns the importance of using words wisely and thoughtfully. He discovers that words have the power to transform and influence the world around him, and with this power comes responsibility. By choosing words carefully, he can create positive and meaningful changes in his environment. This book will appeal to children because of all of the silly things Oscar changes with his words.

A "Chest Full of Words" by Rebecca Gugger; Simon Röthlisberger was a true delight to read. I appreciate the way that these unfamiliar at first, but magical words when used by Oscar outside of the chest of words bring the selections to life and illustrator the meaning of each of them. As an elementary teacher, helping students to build their vocabulary with colorful and animated words to emphasize feeling and description beyond more basic word choices is something that I always try to impress to build stronger writers and readers. I would recommend this book 3rd - 5th grade classrooms who might be working on building vocabulary in their English Language Arts classes .

This book was interesting. A young child finds a treasure chest full of words. They use the words to make things grow, shrink, and go crazy. They learn that words are not only important but that they can be found everywhere. This book doesn’t feel like it has an ending, but the reader doesn’t mind. What really draws one into this book is not just the story of how words change things but the masterful illustrations. They give bounce that make the words pop from the page.

I loved the cleverness of this book. Who would think a chest full of words would be a treasure, but it's true! What starts as a treasure hunt, turns into a discovery of the power of words. Not everyone in this engagingly illustrated book understands the value and power of the words our character is searching for. It's only after he finds a kindred word lover that he discovers new words are everywhere describing everything.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. As a lover of words and reading, I enjoyed this picture book immensely. I could see this book being used in a classroom setting as a way of getting kids to expand their vocabulary when writing, and encouraging them to use "juicy words" to tell their stories. Paired with fun illustrations, this book is a winner.

A CHEST FULL OF WORDS by Rebecca Gugger and Simon Rothlisberger (translated by Tim Mohr) is a delightful picture book that celebrates the power, joy, and discovery of words. The artwork is absolutely delightful, depicting the words in action. The word choices are wonderfully whimsical, encouraging a love of language and discovery. I highly recommend for every elementary library and classroom.

The art is adorable. The story was fun. I think my kids would have enjoyed this when they were littles.

4 stars

Thank you to NorthSouth Books Inc. and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was such a delightful story! It really teaches children the power of words and the power of descriptor vocabulary words to be more precise. Combined with the charming illustrations, Rebecca Gugger shows us what happens when you combine words like "fluorescent" with a hedgehog, and it is, as imagined, very amusing. There is also a moment near the end of the book where Gugger shows readers how to find more words through sight, sound, smell, and more! Overall, I found this story to be very enjoyable and loved the message it presented. I will definitely be adding this to my library's collection!

Oscar finds a big chest one day, he removes the lock and finds that it is full of WORDS! This is the start to this wonderful book! This book has such a sweet message about how you can learn from the world around you and find words everywhere! It also shows that words shouldn't be thrown around willy nilly. The illustrations are so cute, and I loved seeing the effect the words had on everything.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a really cute read!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and NorthSouth Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley, NorthSouth Books, and Rebecca Gugger and Simon Röthlisberger for early access to A Chest Full of Words.

A Chest Full of Words follows a child who finds a chest on the beach. When the child opens the chest and discovers it is filled with words, they use the words to enhance the things around them. But, after using up all the words, the child goes on a hunt for more.

This book will be a lovely read aloud for elementary school aged children. This can be used as a tool to explain the power of our words and the importance of what we say.

this was a super cute story. I absolutely loved the illustrations. The meaning behind “finding words” is so special, especially as a momma to autistic children. Words are a precious thing and we shouldn’t fling them around lightly, but rather treasure each one. This is what I feel the book was communicating. Well done. :)

This whimsical story involves a boy who finds a chest full of words, and who discovers the power of words to create new ideas and change things. The illustrations are imaginative and fun, incorporating vocabulary words in the drawings, and the story has great implicit messages without being preachy.