book details

Book: The Gross Gang by Christine Larsen

categories: Book, Middle Childhood, Old-Fashioned, Rhymes, Wondrous Words, Gross Words, Adults and Children, Curious Minds, Children's Book

Christine Larsen

about this book: The Gross Gang is a collection of antiquated words woven around characters suggested by the words themselves. In this fast paced life today, and the constant use of SMS language and acronyms, it seemed sad to me that so many wondrous old words are dying, to be lost to us forever.

I believe this e-book for children will be equally entertaining for any adult who shares it – jogging memories of yesteryears and yesterday's characters. I have suggested on my booksite that if you are not laughing by the time you've rolled some of these words around your mouth a few times, then you should look in the mirror as you do so.

Somehow, these wondrous words lend themselves to characterisation. Try it and please tell me if I'm wrong… like my personal favourite, the 'Slubberdegullion' – what a word, what a character. "… nose like a bunion, smells like an onion"? Surely that brings a smile to the face, just imagining the word picture created? And 'Circumbendibus' – speaking of tongue rolls, and check out the lip movements it requires.

The front cover features one of the characters inside – it's 'Chester the Chicken', who is actually not a chicken at all – just a little character somehow reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost. Remember him? Maybe a brother… or son… grandson maybe?

I hope my readers will find a renewed love of words, and their pronunciation and meanings (as listed in Glossaries after each rhyme and a full list in the back of the book). And a further dream is that curious minds will go searching through the myriad of magical words that are gathering dust in old dictionaries, and fetch just some of them out and resuscitate them – for the pure joy of bringing them back into currency.