AN ABC DICTIO NARY FOR AGES 4 A N D UP

This book belongs to

*
written by Betty Root

p
 Using this dictionary u/ith your child

This colorful picture dictionary will be enjoyed by all

young children. The v e ry young will love to share it with
an adult, talking about the lively pictures an a giving
names to the pictures they recognize.

Chiiaren who h ave just sta rte d to re a a will use the aictionary to
u n aerstan a the meanings of w oras an a how to spell them. Some
w oras may be unfam iliar; introducing those words will extend and
enrich both spoken an a w ritten vo cab u lary.

The w oras in this aictionary a re in alp h a b e tica l o raer. By using this

book frequently, children will begin to remember where letters
occur in the alp habet. This is a v e ry useful skill. For each word there
is an illustration, together with a simple definition an a a sample
sentence to help explain the meaning further. Care has been taken
to ensure th at the illustrations give the right clues to the sample
sentences.

Chiiaren will want to return to this aictio nary again and again
because it is both a ttra c tiv e an a satisfying. The
joy of using the aictionary will help chiiaren
learn how to re ad many woras and how to
spell them. They will also learn th at the
w oria of words cdn be wonderful!

Betty Root
 Bb Dd Ee
Ff Gg Hh li
Kk LI
Contents
Contents

A-Z e n tries
trie s 10

Mm The
The a
a lpNn
lp h
haab
bee tt 71
71

Numbers 72

Colors
Co1^ . . ..... p 74p
Shctoes
Shapes 75

ir
Opposites 76

SS Tt llu
Mw yy
• airplane alphabet
An airplane is a machine with The alphabet is the name fo r
I wings. It flies in the sky. all the letters that we use to
write words.

©
•People ride in airplanes to get There are 2 6 letters in
• places quickly. alphabet. The firs t letter is a.

alligator angry
An alligator is a big, long An angry person is someone
animal. It has thick skin and who is upset or annoyed.
sharp teeth.

Alligators
use their
long tails
to swim in
lakes and 3a by L3ear is angry because
rivers. someone has eaten his food.
animal asleep
An animal is When you are asleep you rest
something that with your eyes shut, you do
is alive ana not know what is going on
can move around you.
arouna. P
are not animals
You are
Monkeys, aeleep a t
parrots, night in
snakes, and your bed.
people tfre
animals.

ankle astronaut
your ankle is a p art of your An astronaut is a man or
boay. It is where your leg woman who tra v e ls into outer
joins your space.
foot.
Some
Your ^nkle ^stron^uts
is a bone have
inside walked
Ieg. on the
moon.

apple au/ake
An apple is a round and you are aw ake when you are
juicy fruit. not asleep, your eyes are
Apples open ana you know what is
grow on going on arouna you.
trees.

Apples Are you

can be red wide
or green. tfwtfke
Which ones e^ich
do you like morning?
to edt?
a
©
c
d

e
f
g
h
i
J baby
A baby is a very young child.
balloon
A balloon is a small, thin bag.
k Babies do not you can blow it up with air
walk or talk, and make
I
but they it bigger.
m can make
lots of
n noise. h
A balloon will
o A baby blow away, if you
let go of it.
P s its in a
hlqhchalr
q to eat.
„r
ball banana
s A ball is round ana bounces A banana is a long fruit with
up and down, you play games thick yellow skin. Bananas
t grow in bunches on trees.
like soccer and tennis with
u a ball.

V You pull
You h^ve the skin
w
to kick a off a
X soccer M l banana
hard. to eat
y the fruit
inside.
z
© • ..............
basket bed
you use a basket to hoia A bea is something that you
things. Some baskets are sleep in. your
maae of thin, bendable wooa. bed is usually
in your
Mom puts bearoom.
vegetables
and fruits Does your
in her teddy bear
basket. sleep in
your bed
a t night?

bat bee
Д bat is a small animal with A bee is a flying insect with
wings. It flies at night. six legs. Bees can sting you.
Some bees
make honey
for you
to eat.

Bees visit
colorful
If you go into your yard when it flowers in
is dark, you may see a bat. your garden.

A bat is a wooaen stick, you belt

use it to hit a ball. A belt is a long, thin piece of
leather or plastic, you w ear it
arouna your waist.

You wear a belt

to stop your
pants from
railing down.

You play baseball with a

long, thin bat.
.................................... Ф
a bicycle bite
©
c
A bicycle is a machine that
you ride on. It has two wheels
To bite is to take hold of
something with your teeth.
that go arouna when you
push the pedals.
d

b ig b lo w
Big means something that is To blow is to push air out of
not small. An elephant is a your mouth.
big animal.

if your
sweater is
too big, it
will cover
uour h^nds

You blow out the

candles on your birthday c^ike

bird boat
A bira is an animal with you riae in a boat when you
feathers ana two tra v e l across
wings. Most birds IB water. ~ Mk
can fly. Birds lay tjm
eggs. flBg The Owl
and the
Small birds Pussycat
will come hdd <3
into your ^ pe^-
yard if you green
hang out boat.
nuts for them
book bread •
a
A book is made from pieces of
paper that a re joinea together.
Bread is a food made mainly
from flour and water, you
©
A storybook has words and bake bread in an oven. c
pictures in it.
d

e
f
g
You can make to a e t with a h
slice of bread.
i
bottle bridge j
A bottle holds liquids such as A bridge crosses over a
fruit juice and sauces. Most river, a road, or a railroad. k
bottles are made of glass or A bridge lets you get to the
I
plastic. other side.
m

D ottles come in lots of sizes Car s drive over a bridge, but

P
and colors. boats go under it. q
p
box bucket
A box is a container with A bucket holds w ater and s
straight sides. It can be made other things. It is made of t
of carab o ard , plastic, wood, or metal or plastic ana has
metal. a handle. ■ u
Do you V
put your
w
toys
awa\] in X
a box?
The bucket of milk has spilled y
over the floor.
z
bulldozer
A bulldozer is a v e ry big
machine. It can move heavy
stones and soil.

You see bulldozers

a t work on construction sites.

butterfly
A butterfly is a flying insect.
It has four colorea wings.
cake
A cake is maae from flour,
sugar, eggs, ana butter, you
mix them together ana bake
them in an oven

A birthday c^ke
h^s icing and
candles on
the top.

A butterfly sometimes spreads

its wings in the sunshine.

button calculator
A button is small A calculator is a small
ana usually counting machine. It can ao
round, you have math v e ry quickly.
buttons to hoia
your clothes A calculator
together. is useful
when you
have to add
You push a up a lot of
button into a numbers.
hole or ^ loop
on your shirt.
camel
A camel is a large animal with
one or two humps on its back.
Camels live in hot places.
You car\ ride on a came I, but it
isn't very comfortable!
camera
you use a camera to take
photographs, you put a
special film in the camera.
Vo you taYe a
camera with
U O U W h e n L jO U „ \
go on
v^cdtion?
canoe
A canoe is a small, thin-shapea
boat, you use a p aaaie to move
a canoe through the water.
It is e^sy to fa\\ out of a canoe,
so you need to be care ful.
carrot
A carrot is a long, thin
vegetable. It grows unaer the
grouna, ana you can eat it
uncookea or cookea.
Rabbits like to e a t carrots.
cat
A cat is a small, furry animal.
It has a long, thin tail ana
pointy ears.
Do you have a pet c a t in your
home? Whtft is its n^ me?
caterpillar
A ca terp illar is like a furry
worm. Caterpillars change
into butterflies ana fly away.
Look for a
caterpillar
on a leaf
in your
yard.
chair clean
A chair is something When something is clean it is
you sit on. Most not airty.
chairs have four
legs ana a back. You can make
your face
cle^n with a
cloth and
Goldilocks w^rm waiter.
is sitting
in D^ddy
Dear's big
chdir.

chicken climb
A chicken is a When you climb
farm bira that you use your
aoes not fly. hanas ana
Mommy chickens feet to go up
lay eggs. something.

A mommy Do you
chicken is called like to climb
a hen, and a up the
daddy chicken jungle gym?
1 is called a
rooster.

chocolate clock
Chocolate is a sweet food. It is A clock is a machine that tells
maae from cocoa and sugar. what time it is. The clock’s
hanas point to the
Chocolate wi right time.
get so ft and
sticky if you An tfl^irm
hold it in clock
your h^nds. m^kes a
loud noise
to wtfke
you up.
clown computer
A clown is a A computer is a machine that
person who stores tots of information.
dresses up People use computers in
and does stores, offices, ana schools.
funny tricks.
You use a
Clowns do keyboard
silly things with a
to make computer.
people laugh.

coat COUf
you wear a coat on A cow is a large farm animal.
top of your Milk comes from mommy cows.
clothes when
you go
outside.

A coat
keeps
you
w<3 rm
when it
is cold. A daddy cow is called a bull.

cold crab
When something is cold it is not A crdb is an animal with a
hot. It is cold when there is hara shell. It has two claws
o snow.

Do you
get cold
o when you
ild a
snowman?
Have you ever seen a crab
on the be^ch?
crawl cucumber
To craw l is to move along on A cucumber is a long, thin
the ground by using your hands vegetable. It has green skin
and knees. and is soft and white inside.

You can cu t a cucumber into

3ab'\ee crawl before they can walk very thin slices.

crocodile cup
A crocodile is d long animal. It A cup is a small bowl with a
has lots of sharp teeth ana a hanaie. you put drinks like
v e ry strong tail. tea or coffee into a cup.

Crocodiles A cup usually

swim in stands on a
in saucer.
hot
countries.

cry cut
you cry when you a re hurt or When you cut something you
you feel saa. open or divide it. you cdn use
a knife or scissors to cut.

Te^rs run
down your
face when
you cry.
dark desk
Dark A desk is a table with d r awers.
means A computer sometimes stanas
that it is on a aesk.
not light.

You use a
flashlight
a t night
because it
is dark
outside. You s it a t a desk to work.

dentist dice
A aentist is a person who takes Dice have six sides with
care of your different numbers of dots on
teeth. A each side.
dentist can
stop your
tooth from
hurting.

When you go
to the d en tist •
you s it in a
big chair. when you piay a board game.
..........®
dig dive
To dig is to make a hole in soil To dive is to jump into water
or sana. you can use a shovel headfirst. When you dive for
to dig. the first time it is a little scary.

Penguins can dive into very

cold w^ter.

dinosaur doctor
A dinosaur is a very A doctor is a person who
large animat that takes care of you when you
lived a v e ry long are sick. Doctors try to make
time ago. There people feel better.
a re no dinosaurs
alive toaay. A doctor
will visit
We know th a t you if you
some are in
dinosaurs the
were ae tall
as big trees.

dirty dog
When something is dirty it is A dog is a furry animal with
not clean. four legs. Many people have
aogs as pets.

Dogs come in lots

sizes and
colors.
»
ti-
&
&
8
Sj.

If your shoes are covered with

mud they are dirty.
....................................................................................................................................................................................................0
dolphin drum
A dolphin is an animal that lives A drum is a musical
in the ocean. Dolphins are very instrument, you hit a arum
smart and are often friendly. with two sticks to make
a sound.
If you’re
can see I can make
jumping out lots of
f* of the noise when
ocean. I piay my
drum.

donkey dry
A aonkey is an Dry means
looks like a not wet.
small horse.
Donkeys
have long
ears. You st^y
dry in the
rain if you
Have you use an
ever htfd a umbrella.
ride on a
donkey?

dragon duck
A aragon is not a real animal, A duck is a bira
you can re a a about aragons that can swim
in storybooks. ana fly. It has
special feet to
help it swim.
n
stories, I like to
dragons feed the
usually ducks in
breathe the pond
fire. in the
p^rk.
eagle
An eagle is a very large bird.
Eagles hunt ana eat mice ana
rabbits.
egg
A bird’s egg has a hard shell.
A baby bira starts to grow
inside it. Birds, fish, ana
insects (ay eggs.

A btfby
chick
h^s to
break
out of
You will probably not see an its egg
eaq le in your b^cky^rd!

ear elbow
An ear is a p art of An elbow is a hara, bony part
your heaa. you of your arm. It is where your
have two ears,
ana they help
you hear.

You use your

e^rs to
hear all the
sounds
around you. You kwve to bend your elbows
when you lift something he^vy..
elephant
An elephant is a v e ry large
animal. It has big, floppy ears
ana lives in
the jungle. tv

An elephant
is the
biggest
animal
th d t ^7
lives on
land.

empty fairy
Something that is empty has A fairy is not a real person,
nothing but someone you read about
/ ,. inside it. in stories. Fairies have wings
and are often v e ry small.

A fairi
waves
her
wand
to do
Your gl^ss is empty when there m^igic
is no more orange juice in it. things.

envelope fat
An envelope is a paper Fat means
covering for a letter, you put big all over.
a letter inside it. A fat animal
is not thin.
You write tfn
address / Some
on an / monsters (
envelope /~ are fa t
and f because
stick a they e^t a
st^mp on it. lot of food.
 a
;

wmmm feather fish

b A bird has lots of feathers all
over its body. Feathers keep
c biras warm. They also help
most birds fly.
d
A fish is an animal that lives
in water. It can breathe
underw ater. Fish have tails to
help them swim.

e Some feathers Some people

have lots of keep
I I very bright pet fish
colors. in a
g gltfss
h
i
■

J feet
your feet are at the ena of
flower
A flower is a p art of a plant.
k your legs, you stana ana Lots of flowers are brightly
walk on your coiorea ana
I
feet. have a xI /
m sweet
You have smell.
n 10 toes
altogether
o on your
P two
feet. You can give a bunch of flowers
q to someone you love.

r
finger fork
s A finger is p art of your hand, A fork has sharp
t you have four fingers ana a points on one end
thumb on each hana. dnd a long hanaie.
u you use a small
fork to eat
V You can use your food.
your fingers
w
to help
X you count You use a
to 10 . big fork to
y dig in the
garden.
z
 « 9 9 « « 9

fountain front
A fountain The front of something is the
w ater up into p art that faces forward,
the air. The your eyes are in the front of
water falls your head
aown ana
goes back
inside it.

You m^y
get wet if
you stand very A car has bright lights on
close to a fountain. the front.

fox fruit
A fox is a Wiia anim al. A fox A fruit grows on a bush or a
looks like a aog with a thick tree. Apples ana
fu rry tail. bananas are fruits.
Many fruits are
juicy ana good
to eat.

Which of
these fruits
A fox might look for food in do you
your yard d t night. like to e^t?

frog full
A frog is a small Something that is full has no
animal that can space left inside it. you
live in or out of cannot put more into a
water. Frogs full glass.
(ike to live in
ponas.

A frog can Your gl^ss is full

jump <3 when the orange
long way juice comes
into right to the top.
the air.
garage gate
A garage is a building where A gate is a door in a fence or
you keep your car. a wall. A gate can be made
of wood or
metal.

Do you have a garage next to

your home? You can climb over some g^tes.

A garage is a place where ghost

you take a c a r to be fixed, A ghost is not real. Some
you can buy gas at some people think that dead
garages. people come
back to
A garage visit us as
h^s a ghosts.

Some ghosts
to lift are friendly,
care off but some are
the floor. /
a little sc^ry. ’I
 giant gorilla
A giant is a A gorilla is a v e ry big, strong
very big animal. It has lots of hair on
person in a its boay.
storybook.
Giants are
not real
people.

This giant is
even taller
than a Gorillas live in the jungle
house. in A frica

giraffe grape
A giraffe is an animal A grape is a small, juicy fruit,
with a v e ry long you can eat grapes or use
neck and long, them to make juice or wine.
thin legs.

A giraffe can
eat the
leaves a t
the top of
a tree.

goat guinea pig

A goat is a hairy animal with A guinea pig is a small, furry
horns on its head. Some goats animal with no tail, you can
make milk. keep guinea pigs as pets.
A mommy go^t is
called a nanny. A
daddy qoat
is called
a billy.

Guinea pigs like to e a t lettuce

and carrots.
hand hat
you have a hana at the end of you w ear a hat on top of your
edch arm. Each hand has four head. A hat keeps your heaa
fingers and a thumb. warm ana dry.

You hold There are many kinds of hate.

a bat and a ball in your h^nds. Who does the red hat belong to ?

happy head
Happy means your heaa is joinea to your
not sad. you boay. your eyes, nose, ana
dre pledsed mouth a re on your head.
dbout things
when you Do you
feel hdppy. put a hat
on your
You are happy if he^id when
you win a med^l you go
on sports day. outside?
helicopter hot
A helicopter is a machine that Hot means not cold. When the
flies. It has blades on the top sun shines you often feel hot.
that spin arouna. Helicopters
do not have wings. If you e a t very
hot food you
might burn
your mouth.

A helicopter
c^n fly straight up into the air.

hippopotamus house
A hippopotamus is a very A house is a place where
large animal. It has short people live. It is usually made
legs. Hippopotamuses like to of stone,
swim in muddy water. bricks, or
wood.
A hippopotamus
can open Some
its mouth houses htfve
very wide. rooms on
two or
three floors.

horse hungry
A horse is a large animal that When you are hungry you
can run fast. A baby horse is want to eat food.
called a foal.

You can
ride on d Do you feel
horse or hungry
use it to when it is
pull heavy lunchtime?
things.
ice iron
When w ater is v e ry cola it An iron makes your clothes
turns to ice. Ice is cold ana smooth ana flat, you heat up
ve ry hara. an iron when
you use it.

You make cubes of ice Never touch a hot iron,

in a freezer. because it will burn you!

ice cream island

Ice cream is a cola, sweet An island is a piece of land
fooa. It is made from with water all arouna it.
frozen cream ana
sugar. You car\
travel all
the way
around
Wh^t is your an island
favorite kind of in a boat.
ice cre^m?
jar jelly
A jdr is made of glass or Je lly is a sweet food made
plastic, you keep fooas ana from sugdr, wdter, and
other things fruit, you can spread jelly
inside d jdr. on bredd.

You can put

strawberry jam
in a jar.

Do you like to e a t grape jelly

and peanut butter on bre^d?

jeans jellyfish
jedns dre d kind A jellyfish is an animal that
of pdnts. They lives in the
are made of a sea. It has
blue material. a soft body
like jelly.

E3oth boys and

girls like to A jellyfish
wear jeans*. h^s lots
of long,
thin legs.
jigsaw puzzle
A jigsaw puzzle is maae of
pieces of card board or
wood, you put the pieces
together to make a picture.

A ji qeaw puzzle can have

hundreds of different pieces.

juice
Juice is a arink made from
fruits or vegetables. It often
comes in cartons or bottles.
kangaroo
A kangaroo is an animal that
lives in Australia. It has very
strong back legs so it
can hop v e ry far.

A mommy k^ng^roo
carries her baby in
a special pocket
called a pouch.

You c^n pour juice from a jug

into your glass.

jump key
To jump is to leap into the air you use a key to open a door
so that your that is locked. Keys are
feet do not usually maae of metal.
touch the
ground. You have
to turn a
key in the
lock to
Do you like open the
jumping on a door.
trampoline?
kick knee
you kick a ball when you hit it your knee is p art of your leg.
hard with your foot. It is where
leg bends.

How far
can you Doncers
kick a have to
soccer bend their
ball? knees a lot.

kind
A kind person thinks of other
people and helps them.
It is kind to give flowers
to someone who
is
knife
you use d knife to cut
something. A knife has a
handle and a blade thdt is
shdrp on one side.

A knife can be dangerous, so

use it carefully.

kite koala
A kite is a toy A koala is a furry animal that
that can fly in lives in Australia. It has a
the air. It is large, black nose ana big,
attached to a round ears.
v e ry long
piece of string. Koalas live
in trees
Remember to and like
hold the string to eat
tig h t when you leaves.
fly your kite.
(adder (amp
A ladder is a A lamp gives off light, you
set of steps, can switch a lamp on ana off.
you use a
(adder to get Do you have a
to high places lamp next to
your bed?
The window
cleaner has
a Iadder to
reach the
top windows.

(adybug laugh
A ladybug is a tiny insect that To laugh is to make a sound
can fly. It is usually rea with that shows you
black spots. are happy.

How many Clowns

spo ts can make you
you count laugh
on this because
ladybug? they do
funny
things.
leaf
A leaf is the flat green part
of a plant. Some trees lose
their leaves in the fall ana
grow new ones in the spring
letter
you use letters to make words.
There are 26 aifferent letters.
Together they make up the
alphabet.

You use
The leaves the letter
of an oak “j ” to s t a r t
tree are the word
bright “jump.”
green.

leg A letter is a piece of paper

your leg connects your body with woras on it. you sena a
.to your feet, you use your message in a letter.
legs to walk, run, and climb.

You usually
You have two legs, put a letter
but m^ny ^nimdls inside an
htfve four legs. envelope.

lemon light
A lemon is a v e ry sour yellow When it is light you can see
fruit. Lemons grow on trees in what is arouna you. Light
hot countries. means not dark.

Is it light
outside
when you
w^ke up
in the
morning?
Lemonade is a drink th a t you
mdke from lemons.
................... — .................. ®
 lion long
A lion is a large, fierce animal Long means not short. A
that lives in Africa. Lions are giraffe uses its long neck to
a eat the (eaves at the top of
trees.

If your hair is
very long it wil
go pa s t your
shoulders.

Lions are not friendly animals.

: m tie look
• Something is little when it is you use your eyes to
® not big. Little means the same look at things.
as small.

A sweater
th a t is
too little
does not A pirate
fit you may look
very well. for ships
to a tta ck

lizard loud
A lizara is a small animal with A loud noise is easy to hear. If
a long tail and four short legs. you play a arum you make a
loua souna.
Some lizards look Do you put
like tiny your fingers
crocodiles, over your
but they ears when
will not you
hurt hear a
loud
noise?
magician map
A magician is a person who A mdp is d drawing that
does clever tricks. Magicians shows you where places are.
■do mdgic for us. Some maps show you how to
get to another
Some maa'iciane city or state.
x 7 can
m^ke a This map
rabbit shows you
come some land
out of with wdter
a hat. around it.

make match
you make something when you A match is a small stick that
put lots of things together. makes a flame, you rub the
thick end on something rough.

Do you like
to m^ike
things with
blocks? You should never, ever play
with matches!
medal money
A medal is a small circle of Money is metal coins or pieces
shiny metal, you of paper, you neea money to
might get a meaal buy things.
if you win a race
or do something Do you keep your money in a
b rave.

This shiny
medal is on a
colorful ribbon.

milk
Milk is a white liquia that comes
from some animals. Cows, goats,
and many other animals feea
milk to their babies.
monkey
A monkey is a wild animal
with long arms and legs.
Monkeys live in hot places.

Babies like to A monkey

uses its
h^nds and
feet to climb
in the trees.

mirror moon
A mirror is a special piece of The moon shines in the sky at
glass, you can see yourself in night. It moves slowly around
a mirror. the Earth.

You can
look in a
mirror and
wave a t
yourself.

The moon is not the

в а т е sh ape eacl
©в © • Ф
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mouse
A mouse is a small, furry
animal with a long tail. Mice
can live outsiae or inside your
home.

A mouse can
make its
nest in a
field of grain.

mug neck
A mug is a big cup. It does not your neck is the part of your
have a saucer. People often boay between your heaa and
drink coffee or hot chocolate your shoulders.
out of mugs.
K^tie we^rs
a red
Some mugs necklace
have pictures around her
or writing on neck.
the outside.

mushroom
A mushroom is a small living
thing that looks like a tiny
umbrella, you can eat some
mushrooms.
nest
A nest is a home that birds
and mice build. They build
nests with twigs, grass, ana
leaves.

It is not
sdfe to eat Baby
mushrooms birds
th a t grow in st^y in
the woods. a nest
until they
can fly.
©
net nose
A net has a long hanaie ana your nose is on your face, you
a soft basket made of breathe through it. you also
string, you use a net smell with your nose.
to catch fish.
You use your
nose to
Do you take a net find out
when you go to whether
the beach? something
smells
good.

new number
new means not old. new A number tells you how many
things have never been usea of something you have, you
or worn. v j , use numbers to count.

Can you
see the
number 5
New shoes always look very in this
shiny and clean. picture?

newspaper
A newspaper has big pieces
of paper that are folded in
half, writing ana pictures are
printed on the paper.
nurse
A nurse takes care
of people who are
sick. Most nurses
work in hospitals.

Many nurses
wear white shoes
a t work.
A newspaper tells you what is
happening around the world.
 open
Open means not shut. When a
window is open the rain may
come into your house.
■/

If the front door is open you

can walk into the house.

octopus orange
An octopus is an animal that An orange is a rouna, juicy
.lives in the ocean. It has a fruit, you take off the thick
soft body orange skin ana eat the juicy
and eight p art inside.
arms.

An octopus Oranges
USeS its keep you
^rms to healthy,
swim quickly so they
through are good
the wdter. to eat.

old owl
Old is not new. Things that An owl is a bird with big,
people keep for a long time round eyes. It looks for food
are old. People who have at night and catches mice,
lived for frogs, ana
time are insects.
old.

An owl
m^kes a
loud hooting
Old shoes <3re not sound a t
ae shiny tfs new ones. night.
............................................................. ®
a
b
c
d

e
f
g
h

J paint
To paint is to put colors on a
panda
A panda is a v e ry large
k piece of paper black-and-white furry animal
I 0P 0,1 WCltlS- Pandas live in Ctoina, and
JP T ' r^ p is fun to paint __ W / 7 there are
m ® a picture. W' not many
/ # ^ \j5 tf7 teft in the
n You use <3 A • woria.
big brush
o
to paint Pandas

© the walls
of a
love to eat
bamboo
q house. shoots.

r
Paint is a colored liquid. It is parachute
s often kept in small jars, you A parachute is a
t use paints and a brush to big piece of
make a picture. cloth. It helps a
u person fall
slowly through (
V the air.
w

X A person who
jumps out of <
y W hat colors are the plane wears a
in this picture?
z parachute.
park peanut
A park is a large a re a where A peanut is a small
people can walk ana play. It vegetable, like a nut, that
has trees and flowers, ana grows under the ground. It
sometimes a playground. has a soft
shell.

Peanut
butter is
made from
Is there a p^rk near your home? O ' pean uts.

parrot pencil
A parrot is a bird with very A pencil is a thin stick with
bright feathers. black or colored material
Parrots usually inside it. you use a pencil to
live in warm write and draw.
countries.
You can use
You can teach pencil
some pet to write
parrots to a letter.
s^y word s.

pea penguin
A pea is a small green A penguin is a black-and-white
vegetable. Peas are round bird that lives near the ocean.
dnd they grow inside long, Penguins
thin pods. cannot fly,
but they can
dive and swim.

You can M ost penguins

e a t pe^s live in very
uncooked or cold, icy
you can tfces.
cook them.
©
 pie pineapple
A pie hds p astry on the A pineapple is a yellow fruit.
outside dnd fruit or meat in The skin is h ara ana
the miaaie. prickly, but
you bake a the inside is
pie in the juicy and
oven. sweet.

You cu t off
all the skin
before you
eat a
W hat is your favorite pie? pineapple.

pig
A pig is d fdrm dnimdl with a
curly tail and short legs.
A baby pig is callea a piglet.
pizza
Pizza is a fooa with b re a a at
the bottom. It has different
things on the top, such ds
cheese or ham.

Do you like
cheese and
tom ato
Many pigs are pink, but some pizza?
are brown or black.

pilot plate
A pilot is a person who flies A plate is flat ana round, dnd
an airplane. Most pilots wear you eat fooa from it. Plates
a uniform. come in many different sizes.
\ ) /
r\

A pilot uses lots of instruments Some plates have bright colors

to fly ar\ airplane safely. and patterns on them,
.................................... © ....................................
potato
A potato is a vegetable that
grows under the ground. It
has a rea or brown skin and
is white on the inside.
pumpkin
A pumpkin is a large fruit
with orange skin. Some people
like to eat pumpkin pie.

You c^n People

make fries m^ke
and chips faces on
from pumpkins
potatoes. at
Halloween.

present
you give a present to
someone on a special day.
A' present is usually
wrapped in pretty
paper.
puppet
A puppet is a toy that
you can move. Some
puppets have strings.
Some are like a glove
that you wear.

Do you get You can make this

lots of puppet wa\k, run, and
presents dance.
on your
birthday?

puddle push
A puddle is a little pool of To push is to move something
water. There are a w a y from you.
lots of puaaies
when it rains.

You need to
wear boots
^ if you want
^ to splash Are you tail enough to
in puddles. push a stroller?
 question
you ask a question when you
want to find out about
something.
“ What time
it?” is a
question.

Children ask
a lot of questions th a t begin
with the word “Why?”

quarter quick
When you share something If you a re quick, you do
into four equal parts, each something fast. Quick means
p art is a quarter. not slow.

A quick
runner wi
often win

Do you cu t your apple into

quarters?

queen quiet
A queen is a If you are quiet you make no
woman who is the noise or only a tiny
heaa of a country. noise. Quiet means
A queen can also not loud.
be the wife of a
king.
Shhl You
have to be
On special quiet when
days a queen a baby is
wears a crown asleep.
on her head.
rabbit
A rabbit is a small, furry
animal with long ears. Most
rabbits a re wild, but some
radio
you listen to music ana
talking on the raaio. A radio
is a small machine maae of
metal or plastic.

! listen to my
favorite
songs
on the
Rabbits like to e a t lots of radio.
lettuce.

radiator
A rad iator makes a room
warm. A ra a ia to r is made of
metdl ana is full of hot water.
It is attached to a wall.
rain
Rain is drops of w ater that
fall from the sky. Rain comes
from the clouds.

The room If you are

is warm outside in
because the rain,
the you will
radiator get wet.
is on.
rainbow
A rainbow is a thick arch of
different colors, you see it in
the sky when the sun shines
ana it rains at the same time
read
To read is to look at woras
and know what they mean.

Do you like to
A rainbow s it in a big
has seven chair and
colors. read a sto ry?
Can you
name all
of them ?

raspberry refrigerator
A ra s p b e rry is a small red A refrigerator is a machine
fruit. Raspberries grow on that keeps fooa cold. It is like
bushes. a metal cabinet ana has a
motor. We sometimes call it a
fridge for
short.

Food s ta y s
fresh and
cool when you
A raspberry is very juicy and keep it in a
good to eat. refrigerator.

rat reindeer
A rat is an animal that looks A reindeer is a big deer with
like a large mouse. Most rats horns, it lives in cola
are brown or black. Some countries.
people keep rats as pets. Reinaeer horns
are called
antlers.

Sa n ta Claus
has lots of
R a tS often live in cities «
reindeer.
and towns. e

( J D .........................
ring
A ring is a thin circle of metal
that you w ear on a finger.
Men and women w ear rings.
roller skate
A roller skate is a boot with
wheels on the bottom, you
can go v e ry fast on roller
skates.

You wear knee

A ring with a pade with your
bright s t one roller skates
sparkles. in ctfse you
fall over.

robot roof
A robot is a special machine. A roof is the top p art of a
It can do some buiiaing. It covers the walls.
things that
v people do.
Robots help
make cars in
factories.

Some toy
robots
can walk Birds like to s it on the roof
and talk. of a house.

rocket ruler
A rocket can fly straight A ruler is a flat piece of wooa
up into space from the or plastic with marks on the
grouna. A rocket side, you use d
sometimes takes ruler to draw
people called straight lines
astronauts into space. ana measure
things.

A rocket m^kes a
lot of noise when it Can you draw a
leaves the ground. straight line without a ruler?
 a
b
c
d

e
f
g
h

H
j sad sandal
A sad person is not happy. A sandal is a shoe with
k People do not feel good when straps. Sandals keep your
they are sad. feet cool in warm weather
I

m
When you
n wear
Some sandals
o people cry you can
when they see your
P feel sad. toes.
q
r
sail sandcastle
[ ] A sail is a piece of cloth that A sandcastle is a shape that
is joinea to a boat. Wind blows you make with wet sand, you
t
into the sail and makes the fill a pail with sand and turn
u boat move. it upside down.

V If you make a
sandcastle on
w
the beach,
X ^ the water
will wash it
y away later.
Sails are often bright colors.
z
 a
sandu/ich scarecrow
A sandwich is two pieces of A scarecrow is a funny b
pretena person on a stick.
bread, with a food such as
meat or cheese in the middle. Scarecrows scare
c
the birds aw ay d
from the
Do you have a fa rm e r’s seeas. e
cheese and
tom ato A scarecrow f
sandwich usually weave
in your old clothes and g
iunoh box? a silly hat. h
i
saw scarf j
A saw has a hanaie, a flat A scarf is a long piece of
metal part, and sharp teeth cloth that you wear around
k
along one eage. you use it to your neck. It keeps you warm. l
cut wooa ana other materials.
m

You need a
n
big s aw to o
cut through
a large
piece of Do you wear a scarf when you
P
wood. go out in the snow? q
r
scale scissors
you use a scale to fina out Scissors have two blaaes that
how heavy a person or a are joinea together, you use t
thing is. scissors to cut paper, hair,
ana other things. U
V
w
When you make You can cut
a cherry pie a piece of X
you weigh paper into
the cherries pieces with y
on a scale. scissors.
z
screw seesaw
A screw is made of metal. It is A seesaw is a wooden or
like a thick nail, but it is not metal plank that two people
smooth. A screw joins two sit on. Each person sits at one
things together. of the enas. When one person
goes up, the other
person
comes
aown.

You use a screwdriver to turn a a seesaw in a p^rk

screw round and round. ne^r you?

seal shark
A seal is an animal that lives A shark is a big,
in the ocean and on land. It fierce fish. It has
has flippers to help it swim. lots of sharp
teeth ana is not
at all frienaiy.

Some sharks
are very
dangerous and
In very cold places seals live can kill people.
on the ice.

seat belt sheep

A seat belt is a special strap A sheep is a farm animal with
in a car or a bus. It stops you a woolly coat. We get wool,
from being hurt if there is an milk, and medt from sheep.
accident.

When you s it in
a car, you m ust
always fasten
your se^ t belt. A b^by sheep is called a lamb.
® .......................... ..
shell
A shell is a thin, hard part on
some animals. It fits around
the bodies of animals such as
crabs and snails.
shout
To shout is to call out very
loudly. People often shout
when they are angry.

People pick up Vo you shout

shells from to your
the be^ch friends a t
and take recess?
them home.

shirt shower
you wear a shirt on the top A shower sprays hot or cola
part of your boay. A shirt w ater all over
often has buttons aown you. you stand
the front. under a shower
to wash
yourself.
People like to
wear colorful
shirts in the People often
summer. have a shower
before they go in
a swimming pool.

shoe shut
A shoe keeps your foot warm When something is shut it is
and dry. Shoes come in lots of not open, you cannot walk
different colors ana shapes. through a shut door.

How m^ny palre of shoes W\ake sure the door is shut

do you have? when you le^ve the house!
 sink
The sink is the place in your
kitchen where you wash the
dishes, you fill a sink with
w ater from the faucet.
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a very tall
building. Most skyscrapers
are built in the miaaie of big
cities.

Some
Vo you skyscrapers
put your are so tali
dirty th a t they
dishes in seem to
the sink? re^ch the
clouds.

skeleton sleep
A skeleton is all you sleep when you are tired.
the bones in your When you sleep your eyes
boay joinea close and your body is still.
together. People
and lots of
animals have a
skeleton.

You htfve over

p 2 0 0 bones in The dog likes to sleep in a
q your skeleton. basket.

r
e
t
skin
Skin is the covering of the
outside of
slide
A slide has a la a a e r ana a
long, smooth part, you climb
up t h e la a a e r ana go
aown the long,
shiny slide.

I like the big slide

in the p^rk.
Peoples skin can be m^ny
different colors.
slow
Slow means not fast. A slow
person does not move fast.
snake
A snake is an animal with a
long, thin boay. it aoes not
have any legs, ana it slides
along the grouna.

A sn^ke
can wind
its body
around
A tortoise is a very slow
animal. branch of a tree.

small snowman
Small means not big. Small is A snowman is a shape made
the same of snow. When there is lots of
as little. snow you can push it together
to buiia a
snowman.
I am
email, A snowman
but my often weare a
mom and hat and a
dad are scarf, and hae>
big. a carrot for
his nose.

snail soap
A snail is a small animal with you use soap to wash ana to
a shell on its back. A snail make things clean, you mix it
moves v e ry slowly. with water. Soap often smells
v sweet.

You m^ke
Sometimes a bubbles when
enaW puts its you wash
head into its your h^nds
shell and you with so^ip
cannot see it. and water.
sock spider
you wear a sock on your foot. A spider is a small animal with
It is made of soft cloth, you eight legs. A spider makes a
put your socks on before you web to catch Q[);,
put your shoes on. flies to eat.

Some
socks have
bright
colors and Some people are scared of
designs spiders, but m ost will not
on them. hurt you.

soft spoon
Soft means not hara. Clothes A spoon has a long handle
like sweaters and socks are ana a round pdrt at one end.
made of soft cloth. you use d spoon to eat foods
such as soup,
ice cream,
and cereal.

Spoons are made of metal,

A kitten s fur is very soft. plastic, or wood.

spaghetti
Spdghetti is a fooa that looks
like long pieces of string. It is
h ara before you cook it, and
goes soft when it
is cooked.
squirrel
A squirrel is a small, furry
animal with a long, fat tail. It
loves to eat nuts.

It is not M o st squirrels
easy to eat are gray, but
spaghetti. some are red.

...........................
stair starfish
A stair is a step that you A starfish is an animal that
walk up. you have to lives in the ocean. It has five
climb the stairs to arms ana looks (ike a star.
get to rooms at the
top of a house.
A starfish
does not
A t bedtime <( look like a
I climb e^ch fish a t a\\.
s ta ir very
slowly.

stamp
A stamp is a small piece of
colorea paper, you stick a
stamp on a letter or package
before you mail it.
story
A story tells you about things
that have happenea. Stories
a re not always true, you
can reaa a story in a
book.

You have to The children

put a lot of listen to a
stam ps on story a t the
a big, he^vy end of the d^y.
p^cirage.

star
A star is a small, bright light
in the sky. you can see stars
at night when it is dark.
strawberry
A s tra w b e rry is a juicy rea
fruit. It is sweet to eat. you
ao not have to cook
strawberries.

There are
too m^ny Strawberries
st^ rs in grow on the
the sky ground, so
to count they are
them. easy to
■8 submarine sweep
b A submarine is a boat that you use a brush to sweep
can move unaer the ocean. a floor. When you sweep
c It can also tra v e l along the you make something neat ana

II top of the ocean. clean.

11
f I sweep
the leaves
g when they
A submarine can dive down fall off the
§1 very deep. trees.
i
11 sun swing
The sun shines in the sky in A swing has two thick pieces
k the aay. It keeps us warm of rope or metal, ana a piece
ana gives us light. of wooa for the seat, you sit
I on a swing ana
m make it move
back ana
n forth.
o If you go very
P The sun is like <5i bright yellow
high on a swing
remember to
q ball in the sky. hold on tightly.

r
swan switch
LsJ A swan is a larg e bira with a A switch is what you use to
t long neck. It lives in rivers turn things on ana off.
ana lakes. Swans have big, you press a
U strong wings. switch to turn
on a raaio or a
V I like light.
feeding
w
bre^d
X to the The light goes
swains on when you
y on the press the
river. switch.
z
table
A table has a flat top and
usually has four legs, you sit
at a table to eat your meals.
tail
A tail is the long, thin part
at the back of some animals.
A mouse has a long tail. A pig
has a curly tail.

W hat can
you see A dog
on top of waQS its
this ta\l when
table? it is
h^ppy.

tadpole teddy bear

A taapole is a baby frog. It A teady bear is a furry toy.
lives in w ater and has no legs Teady bears can be small
at first. or large, ana they are
all cuaaiy.

When a
tadpole My teddy
grows legs be<3r slee ps
and loses in my be^
its tail, it a t night.
turns into
a frog.
teeth television
your teeth dre the hdrd white A television is a machine that
parts in your mouth, you use brings you pictures and
your teeth to chew your food. sounds from other places. We
call it a TV
for short.
You should
brush your
teeth twice
a day. Which shows
do you like
to watch on
television?

telephone tent
A telephone is a machine that A tent is a little house made
lets you talk to people who are of cloth, you can fold up a
in another tent dnd cd rry it with you.
place.

When a
telephone
rings you know
t h a t someone
w ^nts to talk You c^n sleep outside in
to you. a tent.

telescope
A telescope lets you see
things that a re v e ry far
away. It has a long, thin tube
that you look through.
thermometer
A thermometer tells you how
hot or cola something is. A
nurse or aoctor may put it in
your mouth if you are sick.

The
st^ rs
look
bigger when you see them A thermometer tells you when
through a telescope. sick person is very hot.
thin toad
Thin means not A toaa is (ike a big frog. A
fat. A pencil is toaa crawls on (and, but a
thin. frog jumps.

The monster If you touch

hae long, thin ^ to^id you
^rms and legs. c m feel the
bumps
under its
skin.

thumb toe
A thumb is the thick, short you have five toes on the ena
finger on your hana. you of each foot, your toes are ad
have two thumbs. aifferent sizes.

\ ' /
My big brother
sticks up his
thumb when
he w^nts to
s^y “Yes!”

Can you wiggle your to e s?

tiger tomato
A tiger is a large, wild A tomato is a soft, round
animal. It is like a big cat fruit. Tomatoes
with an orange coat and are rea, and
black stripes. they grow
on vines.

A tiger is ^ strong and fierce You can c u t up a tom ato and

animal. 6dt it in a salad.
................ ................... ® ..................................
tongue
your tongue is the soft pink
p art inside your mouth, your
tongue helps you taste
your food.
towel
A towel is a cloth that you use
to a ry yourself. Towels are
soft and colorful.

Do you h^ve a
favorite towel
It's a bit rude in your
to stick out home?
your tongue!

toothbrush
A toothbrush has a handle
ana a small brush at one ena.
you use it to clean your
teeth.
toy
A toy is a thing that a child
plays with. Dolls, blocks, train
sets, and jack-in-the-boxes
are toys.

You put toothpaste

on the end of your You
toothbrush. often
keep
to ys
in a
toy box.

top tractor
The top is the highest p art of A tractor is a farm machine
a thing. If you walk to the top with big wheels at the back.
of the hill you get to the It pulls h eavy loads ana
highest other machines.
point. O
The farmer
She put drives
the box. his
on top tra c to r
of the across
closet.
train trumpet
A train moves along a railroaa A trumpet is a musical
track. It has an engine that instrument. It is maae of
pulls cars. People riae in a metal, you blow into one ena
train from place to place. ana sounas come out of the
other
A train ena.
goes fast,
so you When
get to you
places p lay
quickly. the
trum pet you have to blow hard.

tree trunk
A tree is a tall plant. It has a A trunk is the long nose on an
thick miaaie p art that is elephant. Elephants use their
made of wooa. trunks to pick up fooa ana
Many trees water.
have green
leaves.
Elephants
spray
You c^n pick red w^ter out
apples from this of their
^pple tree. trunks.

tricycle turtle
A tricycle is something you A turtle is an animal with a
riae on. It has one wheel in h ara shell on is back. It can
front and two wheels in back live on land or in water.

How far can you ride A m otherturtle often l^ys her

your tricycle? eggs in the s^nd.
a
b
c
d

e
f
g
h

j umbrella vacuum cleaner

An umbrelld stops you from A vacuum cleaner
k getting wet when it rains, sucks up dirt from
you hoia an umbrella over floors and carpets
[
your head. It saves you a lot
m of hard work.

n
You can cle^n
o
Some up quickly if
P umbrellas
h^ve pictures
you use a
vacuum
q on them. cleaner.

r
unicorn vase
s A unicorn is not a real animal. you fill a vase with w ater
t It is a make-believe animal ana put flowers in it. A vase
that looks is usually tall and thin.
like a horse
with a horn
its head. When you pick
w flowers from the
garden you put
X You read them in a vaee.
about
y unicorns in
fairy stories.
z
vegetable
A vegetable is a part of a
plant that you can eat.
Potatoes and carrots are
vegetables.

Which vegetables do you like

to eat?

vet
A vet is a special aoctor who
takes care of animals, you
can take your pet animals
to a vet.
u/ash
you wash something to make
it clean, you wash your hands
with soap ana w ater to make
them clean.

Do you help
wash the
If your car
pet c a t is when
sick you it’s
take it to d irty?
a vet.

violin water
A violin is a musical Water is the clear liquid in
instrument. It has four strings, rivers and oceans. Water
and you play it with a long falls out of the
stick called a bow. sky as rain.

You hold
a violin \Nater from the
under faucet h^s no
your chin t^ ste, but w^ter
to piay from the oce^n
it. is salty.
a wet witch
b When something is A witch is a make-believe
wet it is covered person in a story. Witches
c with water. It is / wear tall, pointed hats ana
not dry. fly on broomsticks.
d

e
You get very
f wet in the
rain if you
g forget your
h umbrella

i
J wheel
All wheels dre round and
wizard
A w iz ara is a make-believe
k they turn. Wheels help cars, person who aoes magic, you
bicycles, and trdctors move read about wizards in
I ^ . stories.
m
A wizard
n can do
clever
o m^gic
tricks.
P A tra c to r has big wheels, but a
q stroller has small ones.

r
wind write
s Wind is dir that moves fast you put letters or words onto
A strong wina blows things paper when you write, you
t arouna. can write with a
u pencil or a
pen. jm W *: , I k
V
She likes
X to write in
her diary
y The wind helps dry the every day.
wet clothes.
2
.........
\ ©
 a

b
c
d

e
f
g
h
1

x-ray yawn j
An x-ray is a special you open your mouth wide
photograph. It lets a doctor when you yawn. This lets in k
see insiae your body, you lots of air. I
have to go to a hospital for People yawn
an x-ray. when they are m
tired.
n
An x-ray
0
sh owe if You yawn
a bone is
broken.
when you
are ready to
P
go to bed. q
r
xylophone year
A xylophone is a musical A year is the time it takes for
s
instrument. It has rows of the Earth to move arouna the t
bars that you hit with two sun. There are 12 months, or
small hammers. just over u
365 aays,
in a year. V
w
Can you
play a A calendar
song on a shows you
xylophone? how many
day s are in a year.
z
yogurt
yogurt is a cream y food that is
made from milk. Sugar and
fruit cdn be aaded to yogurt.

Cherry
yogurt is
pink and
tastes
sweet.

young
you are young if you were
born a short time ago. young
means not old.
zebra
A zebra is a wild animal.
It looks like a horse with
black-ana-white stripes.
Zebras live in Africa.

A zebra
likes to
eat
grass.

A b^by is a young person.

yo-yo zipper
A yo-yo is d round toy on a A zipper joins two pieces of
long piece of string, you hold cloth together. Some clothes
the string and make the have a zipper
yo-yo move instead of
down. buttons.

You need
to practice I like the zipper
to be good on my coat
with a because it is
yo-yo. e^sy to zip up.
 The a lp h a b e t

a is for apple n is for nest

b is for banana 0 is for orange

C is for cake p is for pizza

d is for aog q is for queen

e is for elephant r is for rabbit

f is for fairy S is for sanacastle

g is for gate t is for te a ay bear

h is for hat U is for umbrella

i is for ice cream is for vegetable

j is for jar W is for witch

k is for kite is for xylophone

I is for lemon y is for yo-yo

m is for moon Z is for zebra

 Numbers

5
6
7
8
q

10
Î7

14
 Colors

green frog pink pig red parrot

gray elephant o r a n g e orangutan

b r o w n monkey White sheep b lack cat

blue butterfly yellow chick purple fish

 Shapes

square rectangle triangle circle

oval heart star hexagon

cube cuboia cylinaer

cone sphere
 Opposites

little empty

old new

open shut

.................. ................................ ..
 over

under

down

above

behind

below

in front of

..........®
Illu stra te d by Je s s ic a Stockham (Beehive Illustration)
Design by Design Principals, W arm inster

This is a P a rra g o n Publishing book

This edition published in 2004

P d rra g o n Publishing
Queen S tre e t House
4 Queen S tre e t
BATH, BA I 1HE, UK

C opyright & P a rr a g o n 2 0 0 2
All rights re s e rv e d , no p d rt of this publication m ay be
rep ro d u ced , sto red in a r e t r ie v a l system , or tra n sm itte d
in dny form or b y a n y m eans, electron ic, m echanical,
photocopying, re co ra in g or oth erw ise, w ithout the prior
consent of the co p yrig h t owner.

ISBD 0-75257-763-8

P rin te ä in China
 MY FIRST
DICTIONARY
A lively and colorful introduction
to u/ords for young children

• Over 300 e ve ryday words defined.

• A colorful illustration accompanies each entry.
Sample sentences help explain meaning and usage.
• Encourages young children to learn the alphabet.
• Helps develop key vocabulary skills.

Children u/ill come back to ! ! v

MY FIRST DICTIONARY
again and again!

M
e n j.

Written by Betty Root

ISBN 0 -7 5 2 5 7 -7 6 3 -8
EAN
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