WORDS

Internationally renowned designer Christoph Niemann challenges readers to picture this! 300 key words from the Fry list of sight words are paired with striking illustrations to deepen understanding, enrich, and enlighten those learning to read and write English, whether they be children or adults.

This compilation of 300 key words from Dr. Edward Fry’s list of 1000 sight words encourages reading, fuels the imagination, and offers hours of decoding fun. Christoph Niemann has illustrated each word with a picture that challenges new readers to make connections and puzzle out meaning in a playful way. Homophones and an assortment of crazy fun words are also included to delineate the twenty-five sections of the book. This is an excellent, original, and exuberant teaching tool for parents as well as elementary school teachers, and it will also be useful for ESL programs. The physical beauty of the book makes it a great gift for anyone interested in design. Is it a dictionary? Well, yes, but one full of poetry, puzzles, and fun!

Dr. Edward Fry (1925–2010) invented the Fry Readability Graph, which is a widely used tool for assessing the readability level of almost any type of reading material. The Fry list of instant words (English words that readers need to know instantly because they are so common) is a standard resource for reading teachers in the US. The first 300 words on this list make up about 65% of all written material.

After completing his studies at the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Arts, Christoph Niemann moved to New York City, where he worked as an illustrator, animator, and graphic designer. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called Niemann’s third children’s book, The Pet Dragon ,“ingenious.” In his popular New York Times blog, Abstract City, Niemann explores the mysteries of urban life through personal stories and mixed-media artwork. Christoph Niemann lives in Berlin, Germany, with his wife and sons, and has a studio in Brooklyn, New York.