Giveaways: An ABC Book of Loanwords from the Americas

Did you know that the okra plant and the word okra were introduced to the Americas from Africa? Or that squash was first a word from the language of the Narragansett tribe of New England? According to etymologists--people who study words, languages, and word histories--many languages grow by adopting words from other languages, or loanwords. American English is a giant stew, simmering with loanwords like okra and squash.

In her latest book, Linda Boyden shares an alphabet list of indigenous loanwords from North, South, and Central America that have found their way into common usage either nationally or regionally. N?n?, for example, is the Hawaiian name for a goose native to the islands and the official state bird. From abalone to zopilote, Boyden celebrates the cultural diversity of American English while her brilliantly colored collage illustrations and simple, direct text reveal the flexibility and adaptability of language to young readers.

Author: Linda Boyden
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Published: 11/01/2010
Pages: 74
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.23lbs
Size: 8.69h x 10.28w x 0.47d
ISBN: 9780826347268

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2010
School Library Journal 02/01/2011 pg. 93
Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2011 pg. 199

About the Author
Boyden, Linda: - Linda Boyden is a former elementary school teacher and author of Powwow's Coming (University of New Mexico Press) and The Blue Roses. The latter won the 2003 Paterson Prize in its age category, the Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers' Book of the Year for Children's Literature, 2002-2003, and was included on the prestigious CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center) 2003 Choices list of recommended titles.