A pride of lions, a litter of kittens, a murder of crows. These collective nouns are so commonplace that we use them without thinking, but have you ever stopped to wonder where they came from and what other collective nouns are out there? As you will soon discover, there are some pretty wild and wacky ones. These books run the gamut from introducing the noun to explaining its background. An ostentation of peacocks, here we come!
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A Loveliness of Ladybugs
by Kathy Broderick (author) and Gabriele Tafuni (illustrator)
Review: A perfect introduction to collective nouns, this short book is sure to capture young readers’ imaginations. Each double-page spread focuses on one collective noun and is accompanied by a pronunciation guide, part of speech and a brief definition. Vibrant, cute illustrations that reflect the word’s meaning will appeal to young readers. 17 collective nouns are introduced ranging from a bloom of jellyfish to a waddle of penguins to a grumble of pugs. Please note, the nouns are not presented in alphabetical order.
Suggested Reading Age: 5 – 7 years
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Super thinkers: Look carefully at the images and the word used to describe the animals. Ask students why they think the animals have been given a particular collective noun. Once they have made the link that it describes certain attributes or behaviours of the animals, invite them to come up with a collective noun to describe their favourite animal(s).
101 Collective Nouns
by Jennifer Cossins
Review: Beginning with an introduction that explains the origins of collective nouns, Jennifer Cossins takes readers on a global journey through the animal kingdom. Recorded in alphabetical order, each page comprises 1 large-sized illustration with the collective noun written at the bottom. Common collective nouns, such as a pride of lions, are included along with more unusual examples, like a constellation of starfish and a bouquet of hummingbirds; these inclusions will appeal to those wanting to learn new and rarely heard examples.
Suggested reading age: 4 – 8 years
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: Animal Explorers: Students find out more about the animals featured in the book, such as the country/ies or oceans in which they are found, their habitat, etc.
Collection Collective: Students find examples of other collective nouns. They then draw or paint these and write the collective noun below.
A Flamboyance, A Crash and A Dazzle
by Susan R. Stoltz (author) and Melissa Bailey (illustrator)
Review: Learn the name for groups of rattlesnakes, baboons and iguanas in this entertaining, beautifully illustrated, rhyming book. Each animal group is given a double-page spread. The left-hand side features a humorous poem that describes the animal and its behaviours, whilst the right-hand page has a full-colour illustration. There is plenty of opportunity for discussion, as well as vocabulary development and enrichment as words and phrases such as perplexed, courageous, beat a retreat, subversive, ego and politically correct feature in the poems. This book is a lot of fun and is sure to teach its readers along the way.
Suggested Reading Age: Upper Primary/Elementary
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Collective Noun Conundrum: Some groups of animals have more than one collective noun attributed to them, for example, otters can be a romp or a raft to name just two of the collective nouns they have been given. Ask students to see if they can find other examples of multiple collective nouns to describe the same group of animals. Provocation: When there are several collective nouns for the same animal, ask students which collective noun should be the definitive one and why? Alternatively, ask them to suggest an original collective noun for the animal.
A Drove of Bullocks
by Patrick George
Review: A riot of a read, this will appeal to even the most reluctant language student! Accompanied by bold graphics, readers are introduced to a wide range of collective nouns. These are cleverly represented in the illustrations, which lead to both groan and laugh out loud moments; take another look at the cover above to catch some of this essence. Each noun is accompanied by a tidbit of information which will lead inquiring minds to want to know more. This would make a great addition to any library and would be a perfect present for language lovers!
Suggested Reading Age: Teens and upwards. Whilst younger children would also enjoy the bold graphics, in my opinion, this would hold greater appeal to older students who will understand the meaning behind the illustrations more.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tip: Over to you: Challenge students to choose a collective noun and, inspired by the book, represent it pictorially. This is much harder than it first appears, so you may want to brainstorm ideas together first as to what this could look like to provide some scaffolding.
A Charm of Goldfinches and Other Wild Gatherings
by Matt Sewell
Review: Beautiful watercolour illustrations abound in Matt Sewell’s collective noun book. Divided into land, air and water, the author explores collective nouns for 55 different animals. Each hand-painted illustration is accompanied by informative, yet humourous text that makes you want to read on. From a lounge of lizards to a deceit of lapwings to a fever of stingrays, readers will enjoy making some discoveries of their own.
Suggested Reading Age: Teenagers and adults, although younger readers are sure to enjoy the illustrations, too.
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips: My Style: Students find the collective noun for an animal that intrigues them or for a favourite animal. Ask them to represent this pictorially with accompanying text. The animal can be represented in a manner of their choosing.
Unleash your inner artist: A renowned illustrator and keen ornithologist, follow along with one of Matt Sewell’s videos to learn how to draw and paint a lapwing using watercolours.
Happy Reading!
Nonfiction Nuggets Teaching Tips
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Becky Carlzon says
I love how clear and easy to access this site is! Thank you for sharing and I’ll be sure to share with colleagues.