Oh, what fun! Could it be that emoji will one day become a certified language?
An emoji is a graphical character – like a smiley face or love heart – that is often sent in text messages. You find them in SMSes, on social media, in chat programs… they’re growing in popularity with the number of available emoji seemingly increasing each year.
Author Fred Benenson has the unique credit of having republished the Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick back in 2010, written entirely in emoji. He now takes us by the hand to introduce us to the world of emoji, from the very basics of a straightforward dictionary and how to use individual symbols, through to themed sentences and even the lyrics to The 12 Days of Christmas.
His emoji phrasebook includes tips for basic conversation, idioms, food & drink, relationships, pickup lines, insults, nightlife, famous quotes, song lyrics, film & TV titles, directions, in the workplace, technology, travel, and weather, to name just some.
Each section is filled with laughs, using both commonplace and abstract sentences. The chuckles come not only from the things he’s deemed necessary to share, but often in the way he’s done it too. His use of emoji is clever, witty and, sadly, practical for those who like to use them.
Benenson claims emoji originated in Japan with their main appeal being to communicate emotions or tell stories. He certainly manages to do both in this funny how to guide. For beginners or those who want to expand their emoji vocabulary, How to Speak Emoji is a useful guide. For those who just want a chuckle, it makes a fine conversation piece.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 7
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Release Date: 6 September 2016
RRP: US$9.99 Paperback
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