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No matter how old you are, unusual words can trip up even the biggest of spelling nerds.
2018-11-23
A new children's book called "P is for Pterodactyl" pokes fun at English words with silent letters and bizarre spellings.
Written by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter and illustrated by Maria Tina Beddia, it debuted as the second bestselling book on Amazon behind Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming." and is now a New York Times bestseller.
Here are seven pages from the book that show just how strange the English language can be.
The new children's book "P is for Pterodactyl" explores words that are spelled in ridiculous ways.
"P is for Pterodactyl."Courtesy of Sourcebooks
It pays tribute to "letters that misbehanve and make words nearly impossible to pronounce."
With advanced words that can be hard to say and spell, it's a different take on an alphabet book for kids.
"C is for Czar."Courtesy of Sourcebooks
It might not teach them to read, but it will teach them lots of new words.
The lighthearted illustrations fit with the book's playful tone.
"E iw for Ewe."Courtesy of Sourcebooks
Even ewes giving eulogies are adorable.
"The book was born out of a casual conversation between friends, wondering at first if we could find silent first letter words for every letter in the alphabet,” co-author Raj Haldar said.
"K is for Knight."Courtesy of Sourcebooks
Haldar is also a rapper known as Lushlife.
"Chris and I were immediately struck by the fantastically diverse world they implied for a children’s book."
"M is for Mnemonic."Courtesy of Sourcebooks
Why is "mnemonic" spelled with an "m?" It's anyone's guess.
It's not every children's book that includes sentences like "The charging tsunami washed away of of Tchaikovsky's tchotchkes."
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Talia Lakritz is a Life correspondent at Business Insider covering politics and power through a visual storytelling lens. She has reported from the White House as well as military installations, mansions, and museums across the country, bringing readers inside fascinating places through immersive features.Previously, she wrote for The New York Jewish Week and SciShow Space.Talia holds a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from Barnard College of Columbia University and ordination as an interfaith minister from One Spirit Learning Alliance. She hopes to one day visit all 50 states and all 14 public presidential libraries.Politics and power:
