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A review by katymul
13 Words by Lemony Snicket
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Snicket (Handler) has long impressed me with his flair of making vocabulary lessons in the middle of his stories fun for the reader. This picturebook does an excellent job of that on this smaller scale, and the joy with which the book takes random turns is palpable. I also appreciate Snicket/Handler insisting on long, winding words for many of his examples, when I'm sure there must have been pushback because of the age of likely readers. I know at least one two year old who uses "despondent" because of this title.
One pet peeve is putting a song (especially a sudden, surprise song) in the middle of a picturebook without a hint about the tune. I don't mind making up a tune on the spot, but I have much more fun if there is a tune I can find for it (there are plenty in the public domain). And if you want me to go unexpectedly operatic, I would appreciate a little more hand-holding from the meter of the tune.
One pet peeve is putting a song (especially a sudden, surprise song) in the middle of a picturebook without a hint about the tune. I don't mind making up a tune on the spot, but I have much more fun if there is a tune I can find for it (there are plenty in the public domain). And if you want me to go unexpectedly operatic, I would appreciate a little more hand-holding from the meter of the tune.