Lovers of the English language will be comforted to know that the best-selling children’s book on Amazon.com is this ode to expanding your vocabulary. Aimed at kindergartners, and written by actress Curtis, it’s a far cry from Barney. If a child can learn “help,” why not “cooperate”? “It seems like we’ve said to children, you’re not really smart enough to hear words like ‘appropriate’ and ‘consequence,’ ” Curtis told Fox News. “And we’ve come up with words like ‘time-outs,’ which is somehow a dumbing-down of children.” Hear hear!

Big Words for Little People

by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

Joanna Cotler