Divided into themed chapters to help young minds grasp difficult concepts, the book explores what words are and how humans communicate; the development of writing implements; the history of printed books; the process of learning another language; dialects and accents and the way language can reflect our identity; the power of words to calm, inspire, and rally crowds; graffiti's role in spreading messages; codes and invented languages; the patterns of poetry; the future of words; and languages facing extinction.
Featuring examples like the Grimm Brothers, Emily Dickinson, and King Ashurbanipal's library, the book also includes illustrations by Rose Blake that add a cast of humorous and helpful characters to explain the wide variety of ideas. A History of Words for Children inspires creative minds and helps them understand how we communicate.