“a winsome story of friendship--proceeds thus, with a Snicketian 13 words in all. Snicket and Kalman are perfectly matched here, both revelers in life’s delicious details and things best left unexplained. This charming chef-d’oeuvre sings like a mezzo-soprano. ” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A book that pushes boundaries and demands such active participation on the part of both readers and listeners to connect language and images (and Kalman’s quirky artwork is a perfect fit, littered with fun details) is to be commended.” - ALA Booklist
“It’s not easy to connect ‘convertible,’ ‘haberdashery,’ ‘panache,’ and ‘mezzo-soprano,’ but Snicket does so in a manner more fanciful than forced. Kalman kicks up the quirky factor in sly and surreal scenes filled with visual references to Kaftka, Renaissance art, the fez and Einstein. The venturesome will cheer its playful spirit.” - San Francisco Chronicle
“[A] serenely surreal picture book. It beams with the happy, non didactic modernist invention of Gertrude Stein or Margaret Wise Brown. ” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The artwork is trademark Kalman: playful, colorful, and filled with surprises. ” - School Library Journal
“13 Words is a winning combination of Lemony Snicket’s wry narrative tone and Maira Kalman’s droll pictures.” - Chicago Tribune