Book Review: Wonder Words by Rituparna Sarkar

Wonder Words
Author: Rituparna Sarkar
Genre: Non-fiction
Publishers: Penguin Publishers

Being a linguaphile, I eat, sleep and breathe new words. When ‘Wonder Words’ landed on my doorstep in a package, I knew I had found my kefi (the feeling of everything that is positive). ‘Wonder Words’ truly holds the essence! It gives us a list of words that depict an action or an emotion that is literally untranslatable in English. Have you ever wondered what the stain left by your coffee mug is called? Or what a face that deserves to be slapped is called? Well, this small- sized book plays with the letters and brings to us some of the unheard and uncommon words from all around the world.

Area A: Text
The book consists of 142 words (that’s less, I know). Each word is accompanied by its origin, pronunciation and language in which it is used. Following this information, the author has described the meaning and usage.

Area B: Illustrations
Backed by the fascinating illustration for each word, the author’s efforts are praiseworthy. I cannot say that this book is well suited only for children, for even as adults we won’t know a majority of these words. It is interesting to try and pronounce the word right and then try using it in a sentence of your own.

A simple yet catchy cover adds on to the look of the book. I think this book is a must-have for English teachers as they can use this to begin their lectures on an interesting note!

Buying Link: Amazon