Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson Hardcover – Illustrated, 21 November 2019

Adorable and will put a smile on anyone reading it of any age!

I had fun reading this book to my 8 year-old grandson. He loved the book and the characters. Mr. Mouthful is a proper gentleman who expresses the simplest ideas in the most complicated way. He and his pet monkey, Duprey, encounter several children who have no idea what Mr. Mouthful means. His speaking style might cause a terrible accident! Fun and learning abound in this book.

A well-written book that creatively teaches kids (and reminds adults) that big words aren't better words. Beautifully illustrated, the story flows along and ends with a surprising but delightful description of the characters. My niece and nephew (ages 7 and 5) giggled and pulled faces at the big words, proclaiming Mr. Mouthful "silly" for using them. They loved Dupree and were very concerned when Little Juno fell into the water. While Mr. Mouthful was "splashing and thrashing and gasping," they were encouraging him to yell for help. They were so taken with the story that we read it three times. The next day, they perked up when an adult said "purchase" and suggested "buy" instead. Great book ... highly recommended!

Mr. Mouthful is a delight. As a former teacher and current plain language writer, I love the way this starts young people on the right road. Say it simply – small words are the strongest. Characters are quickly developed and you care about them. Great examples of stuffy, big words and the simple ones that work so much better. The illustrations are engaging. And the adventure at the end with a happy ending – very satisfying. Now I just need to find a kid to read this to!

Think using big words makes you sound smart? Spend some time with Mr. Mouthful as he learns that his “hifalutin talk” can cause trouble. This delightful book, written by plain language expert Joseph Kimble, is aimed at younger readers, but all ages will learn lessons. Charming illustrations by Kerry Bell make this tale a treat. Although the focus of this book is to encourage easily understood language, Prof. Kimble offers this advice before Mr. Mouthful’s tale begins: “Having a large vocabulary is wonderful. Learn to love words, big and small, and learn which ones to use when.” Highly recommended for all ages and for anyone who loves words.