Grade Level: Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade

This newly updated, award-winning dictionary gives children confidence as they learn to read. More than 2,000 entry words are clearly defined, and 850 full-color photographs and drawings enhance the text for today's visually sophisticated young readers.

This clear, easy-to-use reference opens with a five-page introduction to dictionary use and contains more than 2000 common words and 850 color photographs and drawings.

Entries feature full-sentence definitions and sample usage. Occasional sidebars offer opposites, rhyming, or related words. The guide words at the top, main entries, and picture captions are all highlighted in purple.

The entire alphabet appears at the bottom of each spread, reinforcing the exact location of the leading letter. New letters are introduced on a fresh page in large, blue upper and lowercase print surrounded by multiple pictures of objects beginning with that letter.

The large fonts, generous spacing, and bright illustrations make this book a good choice for new readers. Sections on phonics and spelling, parts of speech, homophones, compound words, and lists of common word groups, such as parts of the body and pairs of opposites, are appended.

Users, especially second-language learners, will appreciate the dictionary's clarity and simplicity, but Merriam-Webster's Primary Dictionary (2005) offers a richer choice for browsers and includes jokes and riddles, snippets from classic children's literature, and word histories.

Teachers might prefer the former for practicing independent dictionary skills, while the latter is a more appealing choice for home libraries.–Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools