Max's older brothers are collectors. Benjamin collects stamps and Karl collects coins. Max wants to collect something too, so he starts cutting words out of magazines and newspapers. Benjamin and Karl think his collection is odd at first, but then Max has enough words to begin arranging them. First he makes interesting sentences, then whole stories. The cut out words are drawn to resemble or relate to the meaning of the word ("hungry" has a bite taken out of the paper) and are strewn around each page. Once the words are put into sentences, they are arranged to reflect the meaning of the sentence. By the time the story begins, the cut out words sit on one page while the story is on the facing page. By the end of the story, Benjamin and Karl have seen the value of Max's collection and want to collect some words of their own. The boys and their home are drawn to look somewhat old-fashioned. The older boys have slicked down, parted hair and dress in an older, more formal style. The audio book narrated by actor T.R. Knight includes two tracks, each just under nine minutes long. One track includes page turn signals, while the other does not. Both include light background music and sounds. Reading the picture book while listening to the narration may help struggling readers to identify and decode unfamiliar words. This wonderful and charming book would make an excellent introduction to a classroom or home activity inviting children to collect their own words and put them into sentences and stories. Reviewer: Kristina Cassidy