Review by Booklist Review
Derived from Mak's Tumblr of the same name, this ode to the unexpected things that have meaning presents 64 delightfully unique words from an assortment of 18 languages. Loosely sorted by subject matter, Bantu, Turkish, Yaghan (and many more) words identified as to their part of speech and language of origin, and succinctly defined appear alongside Kelsey Garrity-Riley's elegantly muted watercolor-and-ink illustrations. In one sweeping double-page spread, a lush portrait of a forest (and two obscured travelers within it) gives way to three travel-themed words, including the English nemophilist, a haunter of the woods, and the Icelandic raðljóst, enough light to find your way by. In another stylish spread, umbrella-wielding passersby introduce two treasures for a dreary day: the Spanish and Portuguese noun nefelibata, cloud walker, or one who lives in the clouds of their own imagination, and the Icelandic verb hoppípolla, jumping into puddles. Appended by two indexes, one alphabetized by language of origin, and one by word, this sleek gem of a volume is perfect for the bibliothecary (librarian) in all of us.--Shemroske, Briana Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a project born out of a blog of the same name, Mak introduces 64 words from more than a dozen languages that describe emotions, situations, and aspects of being that aren't always easily translated. Garrity-Riley's dainty mixed-media illustrations, dominated by muted browns and blues, echo the moody tone of several words, as well as the cross-cultural juxtapositions that arise. The elegance of soigné, the mixed messages described by the Turkish word nazlanmak, and the Scots word tartle (for stumbling over someone's name) are neatly reflected in a semi-awkward cocktail party scene. The Swedish word smultronställe (a "personal idyll free from stress or sadness") translates literally to a "place of wild strawberries," which is where Garrity-Riley shows a blonde girl reclining in wavy grasses, eyes closed in delight. Brief definitions, parts of speech, and language of origin accompany each word; the lack of phonetic pronunciations might disappoint readers looking to add these words to their lexicons immediately, but it's nothing a little Googling can't fix. Author's agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel NY. Illustrator's agency: Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
Logophiles who've struggled for a word to express a particular "other-worldly" emotion, sight, or sensation will appreciate this slim, pretty compendium of evocative, little-known words and their definitions. Muted artwork nicely echoes the mood of the words, which are loosely grouped by association. Lack of pronunciation guidance is a misstep as eighteen languages are included. A word list by language is appended. Ind. (c) Copyright 2017. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Words and definitions beloved by the author and representing 18 languages are arranged from one to three per page, accompanied by watercolor illustrations in subdued tones of russets, grays, greens, and browns.Smack-dab in the middle, smultronstlle has a solo gig: lit. place of wild strawberries; a special place discovered, treasured, returned to for solace and relaxation; a personal idyll free from stress or sadness. A blonde, white girl rests among grasses and strawberries, and a bouquet of strawberry fruits and blossoms decorates the opposing page. The books first words evoke dawn, and near the end are nocturnal and love-related words. In between are words and phrases with other themes, ranging from practical to philosophical and from nouns to adjectives. The many people populating the pages have pleasant, if generic, features; skin and hair types are reasonably diverse, though white figures predominate. Many of the words evoke humorous art, as in the pairing of the Japanese words tatemae and honne, or pretended versus true beliefs; one shows people in an elevator presenting a careful face to the world, while the other depicts the same people on a balcony, demonstrating what a person truly believes. Two small criticisms: the key to abbreviations is, oddly, in the back of the book, and there is no pronunciation guide. Accessible text and appealing artwork prime readers for such relatively more verbose larks as Ursula Dubosarsky and Tohby Riddles The Word Snoop (2009). Great fun for anyone wordly-wise. (list of words by language, index) (Informational picture book. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
