The Word Collector is published by our fellow word collectors at Scholastic.

 

Discover The Word Collector

Written and Illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

From the creator of The Dot and Happy Dreamer comes a celebration of finding your own words - and the impact you can have when you share them with the world.

Some people collect stamps.

Some people collect coins.

Some people collect art.

And Jerome?

Jerome collected words . . . 


In this extraordinary new tale from Peter H. Reynolds, Jerome discovers the magic of the words all around him -- short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multi-syllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower.



 

The Word Collector Animated Film

Weston Woods/ animated by FableVision Studios

Kids like to collect things like stamps, baseball cards, and even bugs! But what does Jerome collect? Words! Learn more about Jerome’s story as he discover new words and learns more about their power and magic in The Word Collector, an animated film based on FableVision founder and best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ book of the same title. This film shows learners of all ages the ability words have to connect, transform, and empower.

 

Foreign Editions of The Word Collector

 
 

A Word about The Word Collector 

 
Jerome Word Collector
 

Bank Street College of Education - 2019 Book of the Year “Jerome uses words he hears, sees, and reads to make poems and songs. He shares his collection and others are invited to reach for their own words. Expressive, colorful drawings.”

The New York Times Book Review - "Jerome collects not things but words — lovely ones like 'willow' and 'spark' — and decides to share them. As always, Reynolds ('The Dot') brings an enchanting light hand to deeper themes. In Jerome’s quest to spread the beauty of language, the story acquires the timeless, classic quality of Leo Lionni’s tale of Frederick the Mouse.

Kirkus Review -  "In his love letter to those who take delight in words, Reynolds elegantly and with almost ironic brevity demonstrates the entrancing meanings and sounds and textures of English words together with uncluttered (if fairly literal) illustrations to capture the beauty of words and the wonder of sharing them with others."

BookPage - "With illustrations featuring whimsical (and multicultural) faces and distinctive font lettering, master author-illustrator Peter H. Reynolds’ The Word Collector is a thing of beauty and an inspirational story about why words are wonderful. Big or small, we need them all."

The Classroom Bookshelf - "The Word Collector offers teachers a fresh opportunity for a joyous read-aloud as part of a literacy celebration and can serve as a touchstone text for nearly any unit of study that positions students to be wordenthuasiasts and wordsmiths. " 

Common Sense Media - "Kids will be inspired to 'collect' interesting words that strike their own fancy. The book also carries the strong and clear message that words are powerful tools for expressing what we are 'thinking, feeling, and dreaming.'

Cornerstones Education Limited - "This book doesn’t shy away from unfamiliar and challenging vocabulary, including such words as ‘effervescent’ and ‘vociferous’. It celebrates experimentation with words and that some are simply ‘marvelous to say’, even if the meaning is unknown. Above all, The Word Collector introduces children to a wealth of vocabulary within a familiar and engaging picture book format."

Vaughan Public Library -  "Few picture books have this (re)readability inherent in their narrative. I’ve read The Word Collector numerous times myself – it confirms that, each time I learn a new word, I learn something new about myself."

Over-Analyzing Children's Books -  "This book is wonderful. The text and illustrations are fabulous, and of course I love the topic. I like the message of how words connect people, too."