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Shaw, Emily (Author) Delaporte, Yves (Author), & Marion, Carole (Illustrator). A Historical and etymological dictionary of sign language: the origin and evolution of more than 500 signs. Gallaudet University Press, 2015. 344p illus ISBN 978-1563686214, $75.00
This first edition dictionary contains a relatively comprehensive study of the history of American Sign Language (ASL). The authors, Shaw (nationally certified ASL-English interpreter and Linguist) and Delaporte (former director of research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris) present an explanation of the origins of more than 500 ASL signs. The entries in this dictionary are organized alphabetically and includes the regional variations, origin, and langue des signes française (LSF) images of each word. This dictionary contains 1,150 illustrations of early ASL, French Sign Language and modern contemporary signs. An introductory chapter is included in this dictionary to provide a brief history of ASL from the 19th century to the present. This is a very current dictionary, and could be compared to the American Sign Language Dictionary (Collins Reference, 1998, $60.00), even though it does not contain nearly as many words or illustrations. Even though the American Sign Language Dictionary (1998) was published 18 years ago, it is a more comprehensive dictionary to completely understand ASL, that includes cross-references and more than 12,000 illustrations. A Historical and Etymological Dictionary of Sign Language (2015) is the first dictionary of its kind to incorporate illustrations from both early ASL and French Sign Language to help develop the modern etymology of ASL. While this dictionary may not be the most comprehensive regarding ASL, it would be useful to those beginning their studies of researching and learning this enriching language. Summing Up: Recommended. Public and Academic Libraries; General Readers.
~A.M. Keith, University of Kentucky
Humanities – Language and Literature
Resource
Lemish, Dafna. The Routledge International Handbook of Children, Adolescents and Media. Routledge, 2015. 526p index ISBN 978-1138849136, $55.95.
This handbook is an authoritative guide in the field of Children’s Media Studies. The topics covered in this handbook are divided into five sections: Childhoods and Constructions (9 chapters), Channels and Convergence (10 chapters), Concerns and Consequences (16 chapters), Context and Communities (9 chapters), and Collaborations and Companions (12 chapters). Each chapter is written by different authors and provides exclusive depictions of current knowledge regarding children and media in relation to local, national and global settings. This book contains two indexes at the end of the book that cover the subjects discussed in the text as well as a names index, which help the user navigate through the text easier. Other information offered within this book are policies for regulating children’s use of media and how parents can get involved, relationships between children’s on-line and off-line social circles, and how to compare gender and ethnic identities through the media. Each of the book’s five sections consists of an introduction to provide an explanation of the topics to be discussed in future chapters. This book was published one year ago and is comparable to Handbook of Children and the Media (SAGE Publications, 2011, $185.00), and is considerably cheaper with much of the same content scope. This book also includes 57 new contributions by 71 scholars in 38 countries. Being the only edition of this handbook, it would benefit those media professionals, policy makers, parents, and educators who want a more authoritative guide when researching the field of Children’s Media Studies. Summing Up: Highly Recommended. Professionals, Educators, Government Officials, and Parents; general audience.
~A.M. Keith – University of Kentucky
Social and Behavioral Sciences – Psychology
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