(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Manu Montoya. "There's no cow on the ice" (ie there's no rush) perusing this global survey of twenty-nine idioms, a companion book to Edwards's What a Wonderful Word. American readers will enjoy the introduction to some new turns of phrase (including the giggle-inducing Icelandic "peeing in your shoes will only keep you warm for a short while" and the evocative Japanese "not seeing is a flower") and may be equally intrigued to learn about possible origins for phrases like "to cost an arm and a leg" and "to butter someone up." Whether readers are eager to learn about other cultures (including the phonetic pronunciation of each phrase in its original language) or to take a closer look at phrases they may have always taken for granted, there's plenty of food for thought here. Welcoming illustrations add to the fun.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Lucy Cartwright. Sleep, nocturnal animals, constellations, vampires...everything you need to know about nighttime is covered in this oversize illustrated guide. Loosely grouped by the sky, earth (which includes animals in different habitats), and humans at night, the information is engaging, with the kind of trivia kids love. Much of the type is extremely tiny; a table of contents and an index would have made navigation easier.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) PS Illustrated by Feronia Parker Thomas. What might otherwise be a ho-hum reminder that good manners make life more pleasant becomes amusing with Thomas's humorous illustrations showing a menagerie of animals exhibiting common breaches of etiquette. A ball-hog fox, a barging elephant, a grabby panda, and a cat showering neighbors with a sneeze, among others, all reform their ways in this rhyming manners lesson.

Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Luisa Uribe. Jugaad, Hindi for "the ability to get by without lots of resources"; poronkusema, an imprecise Finnish unit of distance that literally means "the distance a reindeer can walk before needing to use the bathroom." These and twenty-seven other unusual, untranslatable foreign words are introduced in this delightful book. Each two-page entry includes cultural background (in tiny print) and lively retro illustrations. Pronunciation guidance appended.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) K-3 Charlie tries hard to keep his new puppy, Baxter, from barking at night, but nothing works until Baxter finally makes his way up the stairs into Charlie's room. "Because Baxter didn't want a blanket...or a teddy...or a pacifier....He wanted Charlie!" The stylized illustrations, with their unusual chunky shapes, are hard to decipher, but they give this satisfying pet story a distinctive look.

Reviewer: Martha Sibert