A Chest Full of Words by Rebecca Gugger & Simon Rothlisberger - Translation by Tim Mohr

This New-York Times best-selling book is the story of Oscar, a young boy who, in "his daily digging", finds a wooden chest. Little did he know that he had just found the most powerful treasure of all: a full stack of words! Disappointed at first by this pile of random words (what fun could he have with words?!), he throws in despise the word fluorescent in the bushes and walks away, when all of a sudden a fluorescent hedgehog runs passed him. Sensing that something amazing just happened, Oscar runs back to the chest and grasps more words. He throws them on everything he sees around him and discovers the power that words have in shaping our world and reality. From "an old oak with a new hairdo" to a docile crocodile, Oscar is thrilled by the creative power of words until the chest becomes empty. Right then, "he stood there, wordless", and in an empty environment as well. Oscar needs words to fill his world, and with the help of Louise, he discovers that they are the most precious thing in our lives and can be found everywhere!

This heart-warming and educational story teaches children about the creative power of words and how they define and shape our day-to-day reality and experiences. Our world is empty when we run out of words to define the things that surround us, and we can use them to do good things or bad things. Most of all, we learn with Oscar the most precious lesson: "Words have magical powers. Use them with care, and you can make the world blossom. And once in a while, someone will give you a new word."

Review by Aurore Claire Dupuis.