Jibber Jabber

Jibber Jabber, part of the "Hear Me Read" series, was written by Mary Manz Simon. It provides a retelling of the Tower of Babel (found in Genesis 11:1-9) using only twenty-four words. The back cover lists all vocabulary words necessary to read the book.

In the story the people believe themselves to be great. To show their superiority, they decide to build a giant tower. Then everyone will know they are great. God watches the people then confuses their language. Instead of proclaiming their own greatness, all the people say "Jibber jabber!"

Dennis Jones illustrated this volume. His drawings feature bold outlines, high contrast and expressive characters. Each page is filled with color.

What I Like: The illustrations are great. They offer a style not common in recent Christian children's publications. I also like the word list provided on the back cover. This volume is a wonderful choice for beginning readers, not only because of the limited vocabulary, but also because of the repetition that reinforces reading confidence.

What I Dislike: The story seems incomplete. There is no clear explanation of why God confused the languages or how doing so accomplished glory for Himself. Furthermore, the book doesn't offer any indication of why this story is relevant to us today.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 1992; ISBN: 0570047056; Paperback; $2.39

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