(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

(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 Illustrated by Leo Dillon & Diane Dillon. Mother/son relationships are explored through spare rhyming text and multilingual translations. God is a common element, and the gender roles and some of the values feel stereotyped, in part because the text doesn't provide any context. Stately paintings show sons fulfilling their obligations to family and community. A thoughtful afterword contains more information about each culture and language.

Reviewer: Miriam Steinberg-Egeth

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Denis Roche. In this amusing and informative counting book, each language's original characters, transliterations, and phonetic spellings are provided, giving the reader a three-dimensional approach to each set of numbers. Clean, bright, action-filled illustrations help convey the culture of each language. A useful map and language key is included at the back.

Reviewer: Elizabeth G. Uhlig