Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It

Babble! is a short, lively, memorable story that SHOWS writers understand the importance of those little indicators.

Babble! And How Punctuation Saved It by Caroline Adderson, pictures by Roman Muradov. Tundra Books, 2022. 48 pages.

• Reading Level: Middle grades, Ages 8-10, ages 10-12
• Recommended For: Ages 10-12

in a certain land the people talk without expression or are they thinking no one really knows but its extremely frustrating and difficult to communicate

…until a stranger arrives with a mysterious bag full of curious marks and shows the villagers how to use a period to create moments of quiet, question marks to promote understanding one another, quotation marks to distinguish their thinking from speaking, and exclamation marks and commas to create clearer communication. What a relief!

Sometimes it’s easier to explain the use of punctuation by showing what a difference it can make, and Babble! not only gradually adds the marks, they’re all in red. The illustrations are fairly simple but expressive line drawings with red details and shading. The effect is reminiscent of The Phantom Tollbooth.

A short, lively, lighthearted discussion starter that can help writers to understand the importance of those little indicators.

Overall Rating: 4

• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4
• Worldview Rating: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Book Review: Caroline Adderson also wrote Jasper John Dooley: Left Behind and Jasper John Dooley: You’re In Trouble!
• Resource: Practical wisdom from Janie on teaching Laid-Back Grammar.
• Book Review: Here’s a review of The Phantom Tollbooth and its imitators from the early days of Redeemed Reader

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