Before he became a lexicographer, Webster wanted individual letters to have specific correlations to unique sounds. Along with Franklin, he proposed a new alphabet with additional letters. Here readers see the development--and ultimate failure--of the plan that is the foundation for compiling his American Dictionary of the English Language. Colorful digital illustrations show a lightheartedness that belies Webster's sacrifices but complements the text's tone. Bib.

Two Founding Fathers team up for their own miniature revolution—to simplify and standardize American English. Printer Ben Franklin couldn't stand inconsistent spelling. He wanted to invent some new and remove some old letters to create a phonetic alphabet. Noah Webster also couldn't stand our inconsistent alphabet. He wanted to create a guide to grammar and pronunciation. Both wanted to change the way that Americans used English: "Using twenty-six letters to write forty-four sounds caused nothing but trouble." The two visionaries teamed up to tackle the problem of the "inconvenient alphabet," crafting a new alphabet—one in which letters matched sounds and sounds matched letters. When this idea failed to gain widespread support, Webster came up with new plans, this time to revolutionize spelling. His plans for seemingly simpler spellings were also rejected by the populace, leading Webster to create his best-known work: his dictionary. Both Anderson's text and Baddeley's illustrations are energetic and compelling. The latter playfully elucidate examples of the linguistic nuances discussed, showing (for instance) Webster and Franklin manually taking silent letters out of words such as "walk" and "knock." The majority of illustrated figures are white, although a variety of skin tones are presented in each group illustration.Deelytful and iloominaating for noo and seesuned reeders alyk. (author's and illustrator's notes, quotation sources, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-8)

Anderson-s debut picture book details the origins of Noah Webster-s first American English dictionary and the struggles of Webster and Benjamin Franklin to help unify the new country through language in the 1780s. After laboring alone to streamline American English, the men meet and agree that the dawn of a new nation should also mean the dawn of a new kind of English for its citizens-one that would allow them to understand one another. -Some spoke like the king of England, others like backwoodsmen, and many barely spoke English at all.- The pair join forces over what proves a near-impossible task. Lighthearted illustrations by Baddeley (I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark) feature large, colorful letters that are juggled, balanced, passed around, and left in a crumpled heap as a befuddled citizenry questions and scorns the men-s proposals. Other touches, such as the changing expressions of the cameos hanging on Webster-s wall, keep the story engaging. With back matter that includes an extensive bibliography, this history succeeds in distilling the sophisticated subject of early American English lexicography into a comprehensible, lively read. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Red Fox Literary. Illustrator-s agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow. (Sept.)