Babble: And How Punctuation Saved It by Caroline Adderson with illustrations by Roman Muradov is a gem of a book. This parable tells the story of life before punctuation--and how the simple addition of a few punctuation marks cleared up confusion, helped people get communicate, and inspired community. Grammar nerds will enjoy the fun punctuation humor--as well as the helpful information in the back of the book. A great read!

Reading the opening pages where no punctuation is used reminded me of reading my elementary school-age kid's homework, it was one really long run on sentence. It makes sense, but definitely not as enjoyable as reading work with periods, question marks, and so on. That is the clever premise of the book -- how to use punctuation and how it makes language and writing more clear.

In the story a town does not have punctuation. A stranger brings them the . , ? ' " and so on and teaches them how to use it to make their thoughts and speaking more clear.

This is a quick read and a fun book to share with children who are learning how to write and adults who love language or maybe want a refresher on what the different punctuations do. At the end of the book is a short guide explaining how to use punctuation marks.

The book is printed on nice thick paper and the bound book has a nice feel to it. The illustrations support the text nicely. ( )

The town of Babble is in chaos because the villagers all speak in run-on sentences with no punctuation. A stranger arrives with a bag full of gifts. She teaches the villagers about the period, question mark, exclamation mark, and comma, helping them clarify what they are trying to say.

This was a cute book with lots of potential, but it didn't quite click fully with me. I was hoping for a children's version of Lynne Truss's brilliant and hilarious "Eats Shoots & Leaves," but, alas, it wasn't as enlightened. ( )

This book is a book about punctuation told in story form. It’s a unique kind of book. For kids that read it, the story may help them remember what the different punctuation marks are for and teach them how to communicate more effectively. It was a cute story.
( )

Children’s literature is so powerful and engaging, so I’m a big fan when authors use a storyline to teach new concepts. This sweet story teaches the importance of punctuation in a way that will engage students and is sure to build background knowledge that will carry over into their writing skills. This is a must have for elementary school teachers or homeschool families. ( )