(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

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Manu Montoya. In this installment Reynie, Sticky, and Kate are now teens, and cranky telepathic genius Constance is almost a tween. The henchmen of Mr. Curtain escape from prison and plan to free their boss from the maximum-security KEEP, but Mr. Curtain has poisoned Mr. Benedict, the children's mentor, to force the Society to attempt a rescue. It's a puzzle-lover's extravaganza, with codes, riddles, and clues to solve and security measures to be finessed.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019