- Man's First Word
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Man's First Word is a children's book illustrated by Carl Chaiet and written by Lynn Kearcher which was published in 2007. The reader follows Telford, a renowned lexicographer, and Earnest, his talking bird-butler, as they travel through the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in search of the origin of language.
Contents
Plot summary
The story begins with Telford receiving a phone call from Billiam Pinch-Penny, an anthropologist at the local museum, regarding the discovery of a tablet of stone with Hieroglyphic carvings. It is unique in the fact that the people depicted have open mouths and appear to be attempting to speak. The tablet is a slab of Iguanastone, found only in the Atlas Mountains. Earnest notes that a piece has broken off, and Telford, Earnest and Billiam pack their bags for Morocco.
After a trip which leads them through London, France, and Spain, the trio eventually find themselves in Tangiers, where a local basketweaver suggests that they look for the broken piece in a small village in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains called Yackama. There, Earnest literally trips over what they are looking for, and they arrive at an answer to their question.
Fun Facts
- The name of the authors' son, Max, can be found hidden in every illustration in the book.
- Many of the descriptions and illustrations of the exotic locales are derived from the writer's experience hitchhiking from London to Tangiers.
See also
External links
Categories:- American children's books
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