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Ounce Dice Trice (New York Review Children's Collection) Hardcover – Picture Book, September 8, 2009

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

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What can words be, or rather, what can’t they be? Poet Alastair Reid introduces children and adults to the wondrous waywardness of words in Ounce Dice Trice, a delicious confection and a wildly unexpected exploration of sound and sense and nonsense that is like nothing else. Reid offers light words (willow, whirr, spinnaker) and heavy words (galoshes, mugwump, crumb), words on the move and odd words, words that read both ways and words that read the wrong way around (rezagrats), along with much else. Accompanied by Ben Shahn’s glorious drawings, Ounce Dice Trice is a book of endless delights, not to mention the only place where you can find the answer to the question: What is a gongoozler? Well, all I can say is quoz.
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The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

From the Publisher

ODT

"Alastair Reid is a word magician."

— Bill Buford

Ounce Dice Trice

"Ounce Dice Trice, an Alastair Reid book of poems for juveniles, introduces children to the fun of words. Introducing children to words in any form is, to my mind, one of the noblest of endeavors. Alastair himself has had great fun with words, both poetically and prosaically."

Los Angeles Times

Ounce Dice Trice

"The book, with more than 100 pictures by Ben Shahn, was designed to amuse and the words belong on the borderline where “the poet and the child meet.”"

The New York Times

Ounce Dice Trice

"I want every children’s book editor and also every primary and middle school teacher and librarian in America to read this book. It is the antidote to plotting, plot-driven, two-line synopsizable, anti-imagination books....[Ounce Dice Trice] can be read cover to cover, back to front, middle to end, upside down, any way you like."

— Daniel Pinkwater, Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR

Ounce Dice Trice

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I want every children's book editor and also every primary and middle school teacher and librarian in America to read this book. It is the antidote to plotting, plot-driven, two-line synopsizable, anti-imagination books....[Ounce Dice Trice] can be read cover to cover, back to front, middle to end, upside down, any way you like. "  --Daniel Pinkwater, Weekend Edition Saturday, NPR, 12/12/09

 

“Ben Shahn’s drawings turn Ounce, Dice, Trice, a word-nonsense book by Alastair Reid, into an art book.”–Los Angeles Times

 

“The book, with more than 100 pictures by Ben Shahn, was designed to amuse and the words belong on the borderline where ‘the poet and the child meet.’” –The New York Times

“Quite marvelous. Illustrated masterfully by artist Ben Shahn. A highly-unusual treat for ages 6 to 100.” —Orange Marmalade Books 

 

"For decades, New Yorker writer Alastair Reid has been collecting words, weird ones. In Ounce, Dice, Trice, the words play tricks on each other and on the reader. Gongoozler. Piddocks. Mumruffin. Reid twists them into rhymes and draws odd connections between them in this book part dictionary, part gonomony receptacle...With black-and-white sketches by painter Ben Shahn, Ounce, Dice, Trice amounts to great fun for the average gongozzler (idle person) of any age." –The Bergen County Record

 

"There are 57 pages of this delightful nonsense, with equally delightful illustrations. My wife and I love it." –David Halperin

 

“Alastair Reid is a word magician.” –Bill Buford

 

“Ben Shahn is among the most important American artists of this century.” –Library Journal

 

Ounce, Dice, Trice, an Alastair Reid book of poems for juveniles, introduces children to the fun of words. Introducing children to words in any form is, to my mind, one of the noblest of endeavors. Alastair himself has had great fun with words, both poetically and prosaically.” –Los Angeles Times

 

If you like nonsense words with meanings they ought to have then you’ll like this book. If you get tired of counting to 10 in an ordinary way, try it ounce, dice, trice, quartz, quince, sago, serpent, oxygen, nitrogen, and denim. The pictures are fine too. An enjoyable book.” –Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Alastair Reid is a poet, translator, essayist, and scholar of Latin American literature. He had been on the staff of The New Yorker since 1959 and has translated works by Pablo Neruda and Jorge Luis Borges. Among his many books for children are A Balloon for a Blunderbuss, I Keep Changing, and Millionaires (all illustrated by Bob Gill), and Supposing (illustrated by Abe Birnbaum). In 2008 he published two career-spanning collections of work, Inside Out: Selected Poetry and Translations and Outside In: Selected Prose.

Ben Shahn (1898–1969) was a painter, muralist, print-maker, and illustrator. He was best known for his socially and politically informed artwork, including a famous series of paintings depicting the trial of the anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti. His 1956 Charles Eliot Norton lectures were collected and published as The Shape of Content, and he illustrated numerous books of poetry. Ounce Dice Trice is the only book he illustrated that was written specifically for children.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ NYR Children's Collection; Illustrated edition (September 8, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 64 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590173201
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590173206
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9 years
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ NP
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Kindergarten - 4
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 0.48 x 10.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 45 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
45 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining and imaginative. They enjoy the wordplay and patterns in the book. Readers also appreciate the fun sounds of the words and find it a great way to learn while laughing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

13 customers mention "Fun to read"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read. They say it's imaginative and brings excitement to the pages. The made-up words and humor engage kids while teaching them new vocabulary.

"...This is a lovely example of bizarro language humor with accompanying subtle and hilarious drawings." Read more

"...I read it first before passing it along and it is a delightful book about words. I enjoyed reading it but a grammar book this is not...." Read more

"...It's a fun and fantastic read! Gets kids thinking about new words and gets them to come up with words of their own!" Read more

"...This book has fun with words at many levels: made up words to interesting patterns of words, to amusing reference patterns that span pages...." Read more

9 customers mention "Wordplay"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's wordplay. They say it gets kids thinking about new words and coming up with their own. The book is great to read with kids, as they learn while laughing at the different, funny words. Readers appreciate the creativity of the author and find the writing wonderful. The book is fun for anyone of any age, who enjoys wordplay, and the accompanying subtle and hilarious drawings.

"...By the way, I think the talented artist/illustrator of this book, Ben Shahn, created a whimsical painting of my favorite composer, Johann Sebastian..." Read more

"...This is a lovely example of bizarro language humor with accompanying subtle and hilarious drawings." Read more

"...It's a fun and fantastic read! Gets kids thinking about new words and gets them to come up with words of their own!" Read more

"...book has fun with words at many levels: made up words to interesting patterns of words, to amusing reference patterns that span pages...." Read more

3 customers mention "Sound quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's sound quality. They find the words fun to say aloud and have a delightful time reading it aloud.

"...It's FUN! It's a mouthful of great words that sound funny when you say them. The book needs better art, but the words more than make up for it!..." Read more

"...on NPR I purchased it for my three grandsons and we had a delightful time reading it aloud...." Read more

"...They will all surely fall in love with words and the sounds of words, even nonsense words !" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014
    l first came across this treasure while shelving books as a library page in the public library when I was a teen. Intrigued, I checked it out and was delighted with the creativity of the author. I still remember his list of collective nouns including "a gundulum of garbage cans", a phrase that has stayed with me over the decades. A scribbitch of papers, a snigglement of string, a snuttering of monkeys. Counting from one to ten: archery, butchery, treachery...oh boy, don't get me started.

    Now that I have a little grandson, I jumped at the chance to secure a copy of this classic for him when he is old enough to enjoy it. So glad I was reminded of the existence of this book, lo these many years later!

    By the way, I think the talented artist/illustrator of this book, Ben Shahn, created a whimsical painting of my favorite composer, Johann Sebastian Bach. I believe it was featured as a cover on Time magazine. I loved that illustration and saved it for many years but have since lost track of it. I wish I could see that painting again. :)
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023
    Great condition, well-packaged, delivered on time. This is a lovely example of bizarro language humor with accompanying subtle and hilarious drawings.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2010
    I purchased Ounce, Dice Trice because it was acclaimed the only grammar book a child would ever read. Being a stickler for good grammar, I thought this book would be the perfect gift for my grandsons. I read it first before passing it along and it is a delightful book about words. I enjoyed reading it but a grammar book this is not. It introduces the reader (child or adult) into exploring word usage while having fun with it. I think their advanced promotion was misleading.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2013
    I've been reading this to my daughter regularly. And she reads it to me. It's FUN! It's a mouthful of great words that sound funny when you say them. The book needs better art, but the words more than make up for it! I HIGHLY recommend this book to parents of young children! It's a fun and fantastic read! Gets kids thinking about new words and gets them to come up with words of their own!
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2012
    I just finished reading this with my soon to be 6 year old, and we both enjoyed it. This book has fun with words at many levels: made up words to interesting patterns of words, to amusing reference patterns that span pages. This is fun book for anyone of any age, who enjoys word play.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
    Wonderfully written. Perfect for young readers or parents.
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2010
    After hearing of this book on NPR I purchased it for my three grandsons and we had a delightful time reading it aloud. Even though die hard children of the internet, they were intrigued by the wordplay. However, it must be read aloud to enjoy it to the fullest.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2017
    The book is fun but the made up words made it confusing for me as an adult: felt like I needed a dictionary to figure out which were real and which were not. Children (7 and 5 year old) lose interest.
    One person found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Vivi Figueira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Um livro diferente e excelente!
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 2, 2019
    Um livro do Alastair Reid com uma coleção de palavras e nomes inusitados.
    As extraordinárias ilustrações são do artista Ben Shahn, motivo pelo qual comprei este livro infantil. E fiquei muito satisfeita, tanto com as ilustrações quanto com esta ideia de se fazer um livro de palavras, bastante criativo e diferente.

    Envio fotos para exemplificar.
    Customer image
    Vivi Figueira
    5.0 out of 5 stars Um livro diferente e excelente!
    Reviewed in Brazil on May 2, 2019
    Um livro do Alastair Reid com uma coleção de palavras e nomes inusitados.
    As extraordinárias ilustrações são do artista Ben Shahn, motivo pelo qual comprei este livro infantil. E fiquei muito satisfeita, tanto com as ilustrações quanto com esta ideia de se fazer um livro de palavras, bastante criativo e diferente.

    Envio fotos para exemplificar.
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  • Peter
    4.0 out of 5 stars nonsense has a place in anyones life!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 22, 2018
    Scottish eccentric quirkiness a la Reid... not for everyone...but if you get it, it reminds one of some of Spike's (Milligan) funnier moments and is a pleasant read...and! amusing, if read well, for children....
  • Amazon Kunde
    3.0 out of 5 stars Nettes Buch
    Reviewed in Germany on November 4, 2015
    Aber mehr auch nicht, denn für uns als nicht-native-Speaker erschließt sich der Witz wahrscheinlich nicht wirklich. Schöne Aufmachung, wir haben aber das Buch weiterverkauft.
  • 月光ネコ
    5.0 out of 5 stars 格好いい
    Reviewed in Japan on May 21, 2014
    ベン・シャーンが好きな人には
    たまらなく魅力的な本だと思います。