Max’s brothers have grand collections that everyone makes a big fuss over. Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins, and neither one will share with their little brother. So Max decides to start a collection of his own. He’s going to collect words. He starts with small words that he cuts out of newspapers and magazines, but soon his collection has spilled out into the hall. All the while, his brothers are watching. Benjamin brags that he has one thousand stamps. Karl is just a few coins short of five hundred. But a thousand stamps is really just a bunch of stamps, and a lot of coins is only a heap of money. A pile of words, however, can make a story.
 
Bright, bold pictures incorporating clever wordplay accompany this highly original tale about a younger brother’s ingenuity.

Praise

"Brims with wit.  Readers and writers alike will enjoy the linguistic fun in this nearly word-perfect book."  --Starred, Publishers Weekly

 

"Fine examples of concrete poetry.  This tale pays homage to the written word."  --Starred, School Library Journal

 

"Kids are naturally inclined to collect things, and the idea of accumulating something intangible in this delightful homage to storytelling will intrigue them.  In a word:  captivating."  --Booklist

About the Author(s)

By Kate Banks and Boris Kulikov

KATE BANKS has written many books for children, among them And If the Moon Could Talk, winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and The Night Worker, winner of the Charlotte Zolotow Award. She lives in the South of France. BORIS KULIKOV has illustrated a number of other books for children, including The Perfect Friend by Yelena Romanova. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.